Planting native flowers might actually be worse for city birds and bees than those "exotic" gardens people love to hate.
March 13, 2026
Original Paper
The Native-Exotic Paradox: When Idealised Perceptions Clash with Urban Ecological Realities
SocArXiv · uw84p_v3
The Takeaway
Many urban policies prioritize native species based on the assumption that they are naturally superior for the environment. This research found that in the harsh conditions of a city, non-native 'designed' ecosystems often provide better habitats for birds and butterflies than degraded native remnants, challenging the 'biological desert' narrative of cities.
From the abstract
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 biodive