Assessment Notes

Justification

This species is currently known from three specific localities, but the area of suitable habitat where it may occur is very large. However, the population size of the species is likely to be very small, as it is reported to be very rare. The overall population size is estimated to be c.600 mature individuals. Therefore, this species is listed as Vulnerable.

---

Geographic range

So far this species is only known from three localities in Argentina (Nahuel Huapi National Park) and Chile (Puyehue National Park and Neltume, P. Sandoval-Leiva pers. comm.). The potential area that this species occupies within this area is up to 50,000 km², but it could also occur in central Patagonia too.

---

Population and Trends

The species was was repeatedly found during surveys in 2015 and 2016 at the Argentinian locality in Nahuel Huapi National Park, while the Chilean locality in Puyehue National Park was discovered in 2017, and the locality in Neltume was discovered in 2018. Between one and five ramets have been found at each site, but the species may occur over 50,000 km² in the region around these three sites. Survey work in southern Patagonia (Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego) has failed to find this species, so it is probably not present in this area.

At first glance, the basidiome of Amanita nouhrae is similar to an immature button of an epigeous Amanita, thus it may be easily overlooked. However, this species fruits much less abundantly than other sequestrate ectomycorrhizal species associated with Nothofagus, and it is possible that this is a rare species. Taking this information into account, but conservatively using a scaling factor that assumes that it may occur into central Patagonia, the population size is estimated to be very small (c. 600 mature individuals).

Population Trend: Unknown

---

Habitat and Ecology

This ectomycorrhizal species associates exclusively with Nothofagus species in Patagonia. So far it has been found in association with Nothofagus antarctica (Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina), Nothofagus dombeyi (Puyehue National Park in Chile) and Nothofagus alpina (Neltume in Chile).

---

Threats

This species is associated with an increasingly threatened Nothofagus forest. Deforestation, forest fires (intentional and accidental due to drought and climate change) and volcanic activity in the area are a growing threat.

---

Conservation Actions

Two of the known localities of Amanita nouhrae are within protected areas (national parks), one in both Chile and Argentina. Little is known about the biology of the species (dispersal vector, fruiting patterns) as well as its ecology (habitat requirement, host specificity) and how it interacts with its Nothofagus host. Further research is needed to find out whether the species is overlooked or truly rare.

---

Use and Trade

No uses or trade are known so far.

---

Source and Citation

Truong, C., Monroy Guzmán, C., Kuhar, F. & Pfister, D. 2020. Amanita nouhrae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T172678073A172861032. Accessed on 20 November 2025.

---

• Country occurrence