Princess Rashidah Young Nature Scientists Award or PRYNSA is a prestigious scientific project organized by the Forestry Department. It was introduced and officially launched in conjunction with the 1997 World Forestry Day. Opened to all secondary schools in the country, it celebrates its 6th anniversary this year. Each year, an average of 16 written-project proposals are being sent to the organizing committee from schools all around the country. However, with judgement based on topics that should be relevant to the natural science, and also on certain criteria, only 5 schools are selected to carry out their projects during the year. Our school, Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Ali, has been selected for the second time, once was in PRYNSA-4. This year, in PRYNSA-6, our school is again proudly selected to carry out another interesting and useful project. The project was proposed by our supervisor Mr. Gregory Teo with the help of Cikgu Emisa Samiun. The project is entitled "The Ecological Relationships Between Lianas & Host Trees: A Comparative Study Between Two Mixed Dipterocarp Forest In Andulau & Temburong, Brunei Darussalam". PRYNSA has been very successful and well received by schools since it was first launched with PRYNSA-1. Hopefully, not only would PRYNSA bring the younger generations a step closer to nature and see the wonders of it, the forests of Brunei Darussalam would also be very well protected. - SMSA's PRYNSA-6's Team Captain.

As our project's title describes it, we are doing a study on the susceptibility of host trees to lianas infestation. This is probably the first study on lianas ever being done in Brunei Darussalam. Lianas are woody climbing plants that start life as small upright shrubs. They are considered one of the most unique & impressive features of a tropical rainforest. Belonging to a group of plants that lack supporting structures as well as buttress roots, they rely on trees to give them support. The trees thus provide the support for them to be able to grow towards the canopy for sunlight. In our study, we are trying to investigate if whether or not the infestation of lianas on host trees is significantly due to several determining factors such as bark texture, bole height, liana climbing or attaching method, as well as the morphological feature of the host trees themselves. Our hypothesis theoretically states that "The degree of infestation of lianas to their host trees as well as the susceptibility of these trees to lianas depend significantly on certain factors. In context of this study, these factors include the diameter, bole height and bark topography of the host tree and the climbing mechanism of the specific liana (though we are not looking into the species of liana)". The main aim of our study would thus be to determine whether these factors exist or not. - SMSA's PRYNSA-6's Team Captain.

After several meetings and ice-breaking sessions earlier this year, by March the SMSA's PRYNSA-6's team has been quite familiar in using the measuring equipments and doing the fieldwork. As scheduled, we made our first field trip to Temburong in late March. During this 3 days' trip me have managed to set up 5 small plots A, B, C, D and E. However, later in the project we realized that this was not acceptable as we have changed the title of our project and are now doing a comparative study instead. Prior to the change was because we wanted to gather as much information and variables as possible but lack the time needed since we had only less than a year to carry out the project. We were only scheduled to have two separate trips to the Ulu Temburong National Park. So, we've decided to set up another plot (Plot G) in the Andulau Forest Reserve (Compartment 7) in Sungai Liang; just to make our study more efficient and reliable. As for our plot in Temburong we've converted the last D and E plots into a single intact plot (Plot H) of continuous Mixed Dipterocarp Forest during our second trip there in June. Both plots are approximately 0.5ha in area (5000m2) with variations in rainfall and soil type (we are not doing actual soil analysis). Each and every member of the team was assigned with different duties in obtaining measurements. For trees, we took measurements of the diameter at breast height (dbh), height, bole height, as well as bark texture. As for lianas, we measured the dbh and their attaching method to their host trees. So far we have gathered quite a lot of data and are now settling down to do our analysis on them. Although we hope to do a few more trips to both out plots and gather more data, we might not have enough time. Fortunately, all the data that we now have had had some promising patterns of showing the results that we are aiming to obtain. Our report would we written up soon and hopefully it will be handed in to the organizing committee before the school holidays begin. - SMSA's PRYNSA-6's Team Captain.

The PRYNSA project for this year has finally meet its end. The team is very proud because not only that we managed to finish the fieldwork but also came out with an extraordinary report. Our datas and samples from the field gave us very satisfying results and ultimately let us conclude to make our study a useful one. Conquering with other former lianas studies done in other countries, our results show that the hypothesis we have put forward is acceptable. All the factors of bole height, dbh, climbing method of liana, bark topography, all does effect the rate or chance of a tree to be infested with a climber. There is no doubt much more to learn into this relation of trees and liana. Our hopes still remain in that our project would help or at least be a guide to future lianas study in Brunei Darussalam. The judgement on the project will be announced this 15th of May 2004. All the team can really do now is hope for the best to come as we have given our best. - SMSA's PRYNSA-6's Team Captain.