> and are dryer than expected That's not from colonization or vegetation clearing. The Hawaiian islands are all produced by volcanos. Especially for the young

> and are dryer than expected That's not from colonization or vegetation clearing. The Hawaiian islands are all produced by volcanos. Especially for the younger islands to the east, that means they are shaped like very tall cones. With prevailing winds from the east, the western side of the islands are in the rain shadow of the mountains and are much drier than the eastern sides. The effect is very pronounced and visible on satellite photos of the big island. The west side is dry and desert-like, and the east side is a lush tropical jungle. The western sides of these islands would be deserts even if no human ever set foot on them.