Nothofagus betuloides

It can be estimated, that ca. 280,000 ha of pure N. betuloides forests and forests mixed with N. pumilio are suitable for timber production. Because of logistical reasons, lack of ecological and silvicultural knowledge, and problems in the wood drying process, the use of these forests at present is marginal (<1 % of wood production in 2004) (Cruz et al. 2008). In addition, considering it is found at a variety of elevations this allows the species to be easily accessible for commercial logging and conversion of forest to other land uses. There is also threat from grazing.

It is also known that plantation forests directly displaced native forests mostly during the years of 1986-2001 throughout most parts of Chile. This conversion of native forest to plantations of non-native species as well as Nothofagus has had adverse ecological impacts. Nevertheless, dramatic declines in the use of native timber in industrial applications, as well as declines in the rate of forest conversion during the 2001-2011 period suggest that plantations are beginning to ease demand pressure on native forests. This suggests why the annual net rate of deforestation was 0.5% between 1985-2001 and dropping to 0.1% between 2001 and 2011 (Heilmayr et al. 2016). In conclusion, the main threats affecting this species is logging of primary forest and mismanagement. It is known that forests of Nothofagus betuloides have also been selectively logged, burned and grazed (Cruz et al. 2008).

According to Cruz et al. (2008) the future development of the commercial forest industry is a system of sustainable forest management. This includes:

• Increasing the managed forest area of stands dominated by Nothofagus betuloides; 
• Improving current timber management (carrying out intermediate practices such as thinning); 
• Incorporating the forests selectively logged in the past in silvicultural management schemes; 
• Applying new silvicultural treatments in order to maintain the uneven-age and multi-layer structure of the forest, based on an ecological understanding of the natural stand development, and including the role of natural disturbances, providing the basis on which the forest may be managed as a renewable resource and trying to leave biological legacies in order to maintain a higher  diversity and richness of species.

According to BGCI Plant Search (2017), this species is currently found in 18 ex situ sites worldwide.