Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Tamil Nadu has recently announced the establishment of India’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district. Hornbills, called “farmers of the forest”, are vital seed dispersers aiding forest regeneration. They are under threat due to deforestation, habitat loss, and climate change impacts. Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) was chosen due to its rich biodiversity and conservation history for species like tigers, elephants, and lion-tailed macaques.

Notes:
In July 2025, researchers captured the first-ever photos of the elusive Marbled Cat in Kakoi Reserve Forest, Assam. The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small wild cat native to South and Southeast Asia. It resembles a miniature clouded leopard but is unrelated to it. In India, it mainly inhabits forests in the Northeastern states. Marbled Cats are solitary, nocturnal, and feed on small animals and birds. It is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Notes:
Recently on July 25 2025 the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change notified the Environment Protection Management of Contaminated Sites Rules 2025. These rules are issued under the Environment Protection Act 1986. It is the first time India has created formal procedures to manage chemically polluted sites. The rules aim to identify assess and clean up sites where hazardous chemicals have polluted soil groundwater or surface water. Such contamination poses long term risks to public health and ecosystems. As per Central Pollution Control Board CPCB contaminated sites include old industrial landfills chemical spill sites and abandoned chemical facilities.

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Recently, under the three-day “Parthenium Free Pobitora” campaign, 5.2 hectares of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Morigaon district were cleared of the invasive weed Parthenium grass. Parthenium hysterophorus L., also called carrot weed, white top, or congress grass, is an annual plant of the Asteraceae family. This invasive weed is poisonous, aggressive, and harmful to humans and livestock, causing dermatitis, asthma, and respiratory issues. It reduces park aesthetics, blocks pathways, and invades agricultural, forest, and wasteland areas.

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For the first time, a consignment of 1.5 metric tonnes of Halman apricots has been sent to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. Halman apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a premium variety found in Ladakh. It was introduced over a century ago from China or Central Asia. It is abundantly grown in the Sham region of Ladakh including Dha-Hanu, Garkhon, Skurbuchan, Domkhar, Wanla, Khaltse, and Timosgang villages. It is renowned for rich flavor, versatility, and role in Ladakhi cuisine, medicine, and rituals. Nutritionally, it is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron, dietary fiber, and antioxidants.

Notes:
Recently, Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii, a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Kilauea volcano is located in the United States, on the island of Hawaii. It’s part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano. It’s located on the southeastern part of Hawaii’s Big Island. Kilauea is a shield volcano, and the youngest and most active of the Hawaiian shield volcanoes.

Notes:
A year-long study by Tamil Nadu Forest Department found at least eight firefly species glowing with bioluminescence in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. The reserve is located in Anamalai Hills of Pollachi and Coimbatore districts, Tamil Nadu, at 1400 metres altitude, south of Palakkad Gap in Western Ghats. It is surrounded by Parambikulum Tiger Reserve, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulum National Park, and Kerala reserved forests.

Notes:
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in North India due to 2-System Interaction. 2-System Interaction occurs when two distinct weather systems converge, amplifying each other and causing severe weather. In the current case, the systems are the Southwest Monsoon Trough, carrying moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and the Western Disturbance, a cyclonic circulation from the Mediterranean region. Their interaction leads to intense rainfall beyond normal seasonal patterns. Himalayan regions are vulnerable to landslides and flash floods due to steep and fragile terrain. Such events are increasing due to climatic shifts, changing monsoon dynamics, and rising global temperatures.

Notes:
A new species of bent-toed gecko named Cyrtodactylus vanarakshaka has been discovered in central Assam’s montane forests. It belongs to the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group. The species was found on the forested slopes of Jatinga in Dima Hasao, a unique ecological transition zone of the Barail Hills. It has been named in honour of the Assam Forest Department. The name “vanarakshaka” comes from Sanskrit words “vana” meaning forest and “rakshaka” meaning protector. With this discovery, Assam now has five recorded species of Cyrtodactylus.

Notes:
Recently, Andhra Pradesh’s Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Dunes) and the Natural Heritage of the Tirumala Hills were included in the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. Being on the Tentative List is the mandatory first step before nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Erra Matti Dibbalu, near Visakhapatnam, covers 1,500 acres and is a National Geo-heritage Monument declared by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 2016. The dunes are composed of sand, silt, and clay with a reddish hue from natural oxidation and show dendritic drainage and sediment layers from the late Quaternary period.