Pepeopae

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Pepe'opae Bog and forest edge
Pepe'opae Bog and forest edge
Pepe'opae Bog
Pepe'opae Bog

Pepe'opae Bog is located near the summit of Kamakou peak in western Molokai in Hawai'i at an elevation of about 4800 feet. Poorly draining soil, rainfall that exceeds 300 inches (762 cm), and high winds have resulted in a bog where the forest canopy has been reduced to plants that are only inches above the ground. Typical forest canopy trees such as 'Ōhi'a lehua and 'Olapa Cheirodendron can be found as ground cover, crawling along the surface.

Pepe'opae Bog is home to several endemic and endangered plant and animal species, including the Maui violet, Melicope, sedges, Selaginella ferns, among many others. Endemic Drosophila, wingless flies, and damselflies can also be found in the bog.

The bog is contained within the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve, and access to the boardwalk is limited to scheduled guided tours, due to the fragile nature of the ecosystem and extreme risk due to introduced alien species.