Photograph: Dr. Claudia Romero
Cork Oaks After Harvest
Figure 17. A stand of recently harvested cork oak trees in Spain. It will be at least nine more years until this stand will be ready for another harvest. The skill of the harvesters and, in general, good stewardship by the industry and landowners, has maintained this land use through centuries. Cork oak harvesting is important to the maintenance of rural livelihoods in northern Africa and southern Europe.