The living layer of bark of a cork oak tree is exposed as its dead bark lies scattered around after being harvested, July 19 2000, at the Alpendres farm outside the town of Azaruja, in southern Portugal's region of Alentejo. For centuries cork has been a way of life in the region, supporting entire familes, towns and the economy of the rural province. These traditional livelihoods and communities are threatened by a leap forward in modern technology: plastic stoppers, which are encroaching on the market for cork. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)