Question

how does cork act a protective tissue

Answer 1

In big trees the stem and branches (not leaf) are covered by a tough and hard covering called bark or cork. It is the outer covering of vascular cambium. The cell walls of cork contain a substance called suberin that forms a waxy coating that makes it impermeable to water and gases. This layer prevents water loss and invasion of disease causing organisms or other predators.
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Answer 2

The walls of cork cells are heavily thickened by the deposition of sobering. This structural characteristic helps the cork to protect and prevent itself from infection and mechanical injury. It also prevents desiccation, by preventing loss of water from the plant body