The Native-Exotic Paradox: When Idealised Perceptions Clash with Urban Ecological Realities

1. Urban green infrastructure policies are often driven by a cultural idealisation of native ecosystems, assuming they have intrinsically superior value. This creates a “Native–Exotic Paradox” where policy narratives diverge from the functional realities of designed, often non-native, ecosystems in metropolitan settings.2. We addressed this conceptual gap in Santiago de Chile, using an interdisciplinary approach that contrasted key stakeholder perceptions (via interviews) with empirical biodiversity patterns of birds, butterflies and plants across an urban–rural gradient.3. Our findings reveal that stakeholders idealise degraded rural native remnants as ecological refugia, a perception that empirical ecological data only partially support.4. While Santiago functions as an urban biodiversity hotspot, stakeholders diverge sharply on the value of designed green spaces. However, evidence suggests that species origin is not the primary determinant of ecological function in these environments.5. This study challenges the prevailing “biological desert” narrative of cities and suggests that greening policies must shift from a nostalgic focus on “native purity” towards evidence-based, functional, and adaptive biodiversity. Recognising the ecological value of designed ecosystems is critical for building urban resilience against climate change.