Monotropastrum humile's a non-photosynthetic plant that feeds on subsurface fungus for nutrients. The fungal webs it relies on only exist in old growth forests, and as those are regularly being clear-cut its habitat is increasingly threatened.
So what we have in this story is a heroic protagonist attempting to stave off the extinction of an endangered species by protecting it from its natural predators (just look at Yota, that greedy li'l blighter, shoving handfuls of rare flowers into his gaping craw) while also expanding its ever-shrinking habitat.
See, all you worrywarts? Everything's fine. It's just a bittersweet story. Classic Hina.