Jun
Cork is commonly used as an underlayment for hardwood and ceramic floors. It is also used under wall coverings, in ceilings, and around pipes. This is mainly because of its amazing resilience and acoustical benefits. It has the bonuses of not deteriorating over the years, repelling insects with the inherent substance suberin, being fairly waterproof because of that same substance, and being resistant to mold and mildew.
Cork forests are threatened with the decline in demand for natural cork bottle stoppers. With that threat comes threats to the already-endangered species: the Iberian Lynx, Barbary Deer, and Imperial Iberian Eagle. The cork industry employs 30,000 people in various jobs, and it would be economically detrimental in the extreme if the industry were to shrink. In some places cork forests are being replaced by the more lucrative, less sustainable, more nutrient-demanding eucalyptus. This is a very hazardous change as the soil will be much more prone to erosion, and will make it very difficult to establish native plants there in the future.
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