As the monsoon season sets in at the end of each year, little can be done in the field. But the Pasoh vegetation team does not intend to waste the months away and instead braved the afternoon showers to prepare the vegetation plots for its first census in early 2012. Over a span of three weeks, a team of six people worked together to establish the boundaries for the 1-ha plots. Then trees above 10 cm DBH were marked, tagged and mapped. With all this done, it is hoped that the subsequent protocol; tree measurements and identification process, will take less time in 2012.

Unfortunately for the terrestrial vertebrate team, the monsoon not only dampen their camps and daily work attire, but also their spirits. Camera trapping in Array 2 anticipated to capture exciting photos of vertebrates in this what seemed to be a more intact and dense forest in comparison to Array 1. But instead, on the ground experience had indicated high incidences of poaching by the arborigines and local communities. Numerous snares were found along animal trails, a couple of which almost snared our team member. This was clearly reflected in the lack of vertebrate species captured on cameras deployed.