Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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A Siberian Demoiselle crane, Sukpak, set a record by migrating over 3,676 km to Rajasthan, India. It is the smallest crane species, known for its solitary and social behavior. The bird holds cultural importance in India, where it is called Koonj or Kurjaa. Demoiselle cranes inhabit fields, steppes, deserts, and plains near water, breeding in Central Eurasia and wintering in India and sub-Saharan Africa. Sukpak followed an unusual route through Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to reach India. Conservation efforts include India’s first Demoiselle crane reserve at Khichan, Rajasthan. Their conservation status is “Least Concern,” but they face threats like habitat loss and hunting.

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The National Tiger Conservation Authority has approved Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh as a tiger reserve. The park is located in the northern Central Highlands, part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills, with plateaus and valleys. It includes two lakes, Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar, supporting aquatic biodiversity and terrestrial species. The park’s drainage flows north and northeast, forming the catchment for the Amarnadi and Sind rivers. The eastern part has Vindhyan system sedimentary rocks, including sandstone, shale, and limestone.

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A team from Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) discovered five new species of Darwin wasps from India and Thailand. These parasitoid wasps parasitize insects like moths, beetles, and ants. They have a head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, and large compound eyes. Females lay eggs on host larvae or pupae. Some use their ovipositors to drill into wood. The wasps help control crop-damaging pests like aphids and caterpillars. Four new species were found in India: Microleptes chiani (Tamil Nadu), Microleptes gowrishankari (Karnataka), Microleptes sandeshkaduri (Arunachal Pradesh), and Microleptes tehriensis (Uttarakhand).

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Experts link Santa Ana winds and climate change to wildfires in Malibu, California. Named after Santa Ana Canyon, these winds are dry and warm, blowing from the deserts of the Great Basin. They occur when high pressure forms over the Great Basin and low pressure develops along California’s coast. The pressure difference drives strong winds westward over the mountains toward the Pacific Ocean. As winds descend, they heat up and lose humidity—sometimes dropping below 10%, drying vegetation and increasing fire risk. Santa Ana winds usually occur between October and January, driven by winter weather patterns.

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Recent research reveals three geological sites along the Denali Fault were once a single feature, later separated by tectonic activity. The Denali Fault is a significant right-lateral strike-slip fault in western North America, stretching from British Columbia, Canada, to central Alaska, USA. It marks the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, with the Pacific Plate actively subducting under the North American Plate. This subduction causes significant geological stress and deformation. The Denali Fault was the epicenter of a powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 2002, highlighting its seismic activity.

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Madhya Pradesh will translocate 15 tigers (12 tigresses and 3 tigers) to Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha after Central Government approval. Tigers will be relocated from Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Pench Tiger Reserves. These tiger reserves are located in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh leads India in tiger population with 785 tigers, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560). Ratapani forest was recently notified as MP’s eighth tiger reserve.

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Archaeologists urged the Tamil Nadu government to halt tungsten mining in Arittapatti due to its rich archaeological and ecological significance. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss proposed declaring the 5,000-acre area a ‘protected biodiversity zone.’ Arittapatti, in Madurai, is Tamil Nadu’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site. It hosts Indian pangolins, slender lorises, pythons, and 250 bird species, including raptors like the Laggar Falcon, Shaheen Falcon, and Bonelli’s Eagle. The village holds historical treasures, including 2,200-year-old megalithic structures, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds, and rock-cut temples.

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India’s first Fishing Cat Collaring Project will be executed by the Wildlife Institute of India at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Andhra Pradesh. The sanctuary spans sea-backwaters and creeks, with 40% affected by tidal waters. It has extensive mangrove and dry deciduous forests, the second-largest mangrove stretch in India, with species like Rhizophora, Avicennia, and Sonnertia. It hosts endangered species like Smooth Indian otter, Fishing cat, Jackal, and birds such as Black-capped kingfisher and Brahminy kite. The sea coast serves as a breeding ground for Olive Ridley turtles.

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Three poachers were arrested for killing a sambar deer inside Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) is a large species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is known as Jarao in Nepal and the Four-eyed deer in China. They are water-dependent and found in diverse forest habitats. They are solitary or live in small groups, with males reaching up to 550 kg. Sambar deer have long antlers and dark brown coats, and are most active at dusk and night. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

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The Alappuzha district administration will launch a plastic-cleaning drive for the Vembanad Lake rejuvenation project in January. The campaign aims to make Vembanad plastic-free and is part of ongoing conservation efforts for the lake, a Ramsar site and India’s second-largest wetland. Vembanad Lake, a Ramsar site and the second-largest wetland system in India, is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest in India. The lake is fed by four rivers: Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa, and Manimala. Vembanad is separated from the Arabian Sea by a barrier island and hosts the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race.