Counterbalancing biodiversity knowledge loss and extinction of experience in Chile

Extinction of natural experience and the rapid loss of biodiversity knowledge resulting from global homogenization are serious threats for conservation. We approach this phenomenon in Chile, a well-known biodiversity hotspot, documented a striking bias to represent alien species rather than native biodiversity in illustrations from educational books for children (n=1254). Additionally, residents of Santiago, Chile (n=222), identified correctly an average of 2.01 plants and 2.44 birds out of a total of 10 from each taxon presented in pictures. Nonnative species were more frequently recognized. However, native species were strongly preferred. Enhancing ecological knowledge can be critical to restoring human/nature relationships