Quercus arbutifolia

Quercus arbutifolia is threatened by climate change, as all known subpopulations occur in montane cloud forests, a currently vulnerable ecosystem. Under climate change models run in Song et al. (2019), suitable habitat for Q. arbutifolia will be greatly reduced. It is projected that by 2050 there will only be 2.87 km² of remaining, suitable area of occupancy (AOO) in the locations that the species already occurs. This is a reduction from the current AOO which is 8.49 km². Additional threats include habitat destruction, fragmentation, small population size, unbalanced population structure and pressure from competitor species.

All confirmed subpopulations of Quercus arbutifolia are located in protected areas, but this will not mitigate the risk posed by climate change. Song et al. (2019) suggests that conservation of the species should include further field studies to search for potential additional populations in areas of suitable habitat, management of current populations through canopy thinning and removal of bamboo, propagation and restoration of current populations, ex situ conservation to ensure long-term survival, and legal protection to discourage tourism and construction around the existing vulnerable populations. Quercus arbutifolia is not reported in any ex situ collections (BGCI 2020).