The Red List of Nothofagus (2018) revealed that 30% of all Nothofagus species are threatened with extinction. The Nothofagaceae family is comprised of 37 species, all in the genus Nothofagus. The report assessed all 37 species in this genus, and 11 of these were found to be at risk of extinction. Nothofagus, more commonly known as ‘false beech’ or ‘southern beech’, are deciduous and evergreen forest trees only found in the Southern Hemisphere where they are the major component of many forests. This report identified that the greatest threat to Nothofagus, affecting two-thirds of all species, is deforestation and wood harvesting. Other threats include plantation and agricultural expansion, pests and diseases and climate change.

The Red List included an ex situ survey, to assess the coverage of Nothofagus species within botanic gardens, arboreta and seed banks, using BGCI’s PlantSearch. It revealed that only 54% (20 species) of Nothofagus are in ex situ collections. Of the threatened taxa, 45% (5 species) are in ex situ collections.