Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Two new damselfly species, Konkan Shadowdamsel and Crimson Shadowdamsel, have been discovered in the Western Ghats. Konkan Shadowdamsel was found in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, and Crimson Shadowdamsel in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. They belong to the ‘Shadowdamsels’ group, thriving in shaded forest habitats and pristine small streams. Crimson Shadowdamsel has a reddish body, while Konkan Shadowdamsel shows coffee-brown colouration. Shadowdamsels are microendemics of Western Ghats and act as pollution indicators, reflecting forest health. Damselflies are predatory insects of order Odonata, smaller and weaker fliers than dragonflies, found near freshwater habitats.

Notes:
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:
India has extended privileges and immunities to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and its officials. These legal safeguards are usually granted to representatives of United Nations (UN) organisations. It was launched in 2023 in India during the event ‘Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger’. It was established by the Government of India through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC). It is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 95 big cat range and non-range countries. Its objective is the conservation of seven big cats: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.

Notes:
Only 17.2% of India’s suitable habitat for Dalbergia latifolia (Indian rosewood) lies within protected areas, according to the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bengaluru. The species is native to Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris, Anamalai, and Parambikulam ranges. Field studies across 12 States (2019–2025) show Tamil Nadu has the lowest rosewood density at 2.85 trees per 0.1 hectare. Karnataka showed a higher density of 6.19 trees per 0.1 hectare, and Kerala had 5.38 trees per 0.1 hectare. Indian rosewood improves soil fertility, acts as a carbon sink, and is a keystone ecological species. Economically, it is called “Ivory of the Forests,” used in furniture, musical instruments, and handicrafts.

Notes:
Recently, conflict between humans and Himalayan brown bears has been rising across the Himalayas. The Himalayan brown bear is also called Himalayan red bear, isabelline bear, or Dzu-Teh and is a subspecies of the brown bear. It is mainly found in northwestern and central Himalayas in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. In India, it is found in small, isolated populations in alpine and subalpine habitats of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation status is Critically Endangered.

Notes:
A new edible mushroom species named Lactifluus khasianus has been discovered in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. It was already known to Khasi tribes as “Tit iongnah” and used as a seasonal delicacy during the monsoon. The mushroom grows with Khasi pine (Pinus kesiya) at 1,600 metres altitude. It differs from related species by its chocolate-brown cap, larger cystidia, and DNA markers. It is the fifth confirmed Lactifluus sect. Gerardii species in India, but the first edible one. Meghalaya contributes significantly to India’s 34+ Lactifluus species diversity.

Notes:
Recently, two new wetlands from Bihar were added to the Ramsar Convention list of Wetlands of International Importance. These are Gokul Jalashay in Buxar district and Udaipur Jheel in West Champaran district. With this, India now has 93 Ramsar sites, the highest in Asia and third in the world after the UK (176) and Mexico (144). Bihar now has five Ramsar sites in total. India’s Ramsar sites increased from 26 in 2012 to 93 in 2025, covering 13.6 lakh hectares.

Notes:
District Magistrate Baramulla recently ordered the immediate closure of 14 gypsum mining units operating within 1 km of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary. Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, near the village of Lachipora on the northern banks of the Jhelum River. It primarily protects the endangered Markhor, a wild goat with twisted horns. It is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and hosts the vulnerable Western Tragopan.

Notes:
A new coffee plant species named Ophiorrhiza echinata was recently discovered in the Western Ghats. It was found in the shola forests at Devikulam, Idukki District, Kerala. The plant grows in the ecotone region between evergreen forests and grasslands at 1,630 metres above sea level. It belongs to the Rubiaceae family and is closely related to Ophiorrhiza mungos, used in cancer treatment and antidote preparations. It may have medicinal potential. The species is very rare, with less than 4 sq. km area of occupancy and only about 35 plants recorded

Notes:
A recent survey by State Forest Department and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found rare nesting of Pallid Fish Eagle in Corbett Tiger Reserve. The bird is also called Pallas’s sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle and is a large brownish sea eagle. It lives near lakes, marshes and rivers from lowlands up to 5,000 metres elevation. It is partially migratory, with Central Asian birds wintering in northern India and further west to the Persian Gulf. It is found across East Palearctic regions like Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Its IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List status is Endangered.