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Example 7.

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Background for Proposed Research Project

The Atlantic Rain Forest (.Mata Atlantica.) was an extensive heterogenous forest that
used to occupy an area larger than 1,000,000 km2 (about 12% of Brazil.s present-day
territory).

The settlement of European colonists within the forest domain was initially driven by its
close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean (along the Brazilian coast). Soon however, the
economy of local communities was bursting with trading goods gathered from the
wealth of natural resources found in the forest.

Today, around 70% of the Brazilian population (near 120 million inhabitants, both in
urban and rural areas) live in the Atlantic Rain Forest domain. The natural habitat of
many endemic animal and plant species are under encroachment, since the area of the
original forest has been severely reduced. The remnant of the forest presently occupies
only a fragmented area that is less than 9% of the original cover (citation). Many plant
species from this tropical rain forest have achieved great importance in history as
sources of phytotherapeuticals.

At present, these plant species are especially in need of studies concerning


conservation of their germplasm. A great number of them are still being collected in
large quantities in Brazil, but no cultivation system has ever been established to support
a continuous harvest in the future (citation). This event has already occurred to
Cephaelis ipecacuanha, and is presently taking place with Tabebuia aveliandedae, T.
impetiginosa, Echinodorus macrophyllus, Cordia verbencea, etc. I am interested in
investigating the existing genetic resources for medicinal plant species in Southeast
Brazil with the goal of preserving and utilizing their biological diversity.

Suggestions for Content


The introductory section should:
. Clearly establish who you are
. Describe your organizational goals
. Refer to the sponsor purpose and priorities as related to the research
. Establish your credibility in the project topic area
. Lead logically to the next section, the problem statement

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