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This article looks at all aspects of cork. From the cork oak forest’s role in ameliorating climate change in the Mediterranean area, to their importance as habitats for some of the world’s rarest plants and animals, and to their economic and social importance to counties such as Spain and Portugal
Cork is a remarkable product. It’s sustainably harvested, recyclable and biodegradable. It’s lightweight, water repellant, impact absorbing and can be compressed for long periods of time and then spring back to its original shape.
Cork has a long history of use – ancient Egyptians used it for stoppers and for lining sarcophagi, the Greeks used it to make fishing buoys and the Romans used it in their roofs, beehives and for the soles of their ubiquitous sandals. But it’s also a thoroughly modern material, used extensively in the building trade, in cold storage plants, in oil refineries and shotgun cartridges. It’s even used by NASA in the Space Shuttle.
Cork oak forest is considered by many experts to be one of the most important and ancient forest habitats in Europe. Today, these forests, and the scrub land associated with them, provide refuge to some of the world’s rarest plants and animals including the last 150 Iberian Lynx and the endangered imperial eagle.
2000 Words approx length
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