Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, a rare and colourful Blue Pinkgill mushroom (Entoloma hochstetteri) was documented in Kagaznagar forest division, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, Telangana. It is also called “sky-blue mushroom” and has pink to purplish gills. It is native to New Zealand, it is featured on the country’s $50 note. Its vivid blue colour comes from rare azulene pigments. It has flat or funnel-shaped caps, pink or white gills, and centrally or laterally attached stems.

Notes:
Recently, Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organisation, organised an awareness programme at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district, Assam. The programme was conducted under the theme “Conservation and Coexistence” with support from partner organisations. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in eastern Guwahati, Assam and covers an area of 48.81 square kilometers. It comprises the Rajamayong Reserve Forest and Pobitora Reserve Forest. The area was declared a reserved forest in 1971 by the Government of Assam Tourism.

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:
Concerns were recently raised about unauthorised road construction and repair inside Srivilliputhur–Meghamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. It was created in February 2021 by merging the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. It spans Theni, Virudhunagar, and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu. The reserve links Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve with Tamil Nadu’s Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, ensuring wildlife corridor connectivity. It depends on Vaigai, Suruliyaru, and Shanmuganathi rivers for water resources.

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:
Kerala conducted India’s first science-based, community-driven eradication of Senna spectabilis in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Senna spectabilis is an invasive species native to American tropics. The tree grows 7–18 metres tall with a dense, spreading crown. It forms dense, sterile thickets, choking native plants, altering soil chemistry, and reducing food for herbivores. It closely resembles Kerala’s state flower Cassia fistula (kanikkonna), which aided its initial planting. The eradication involved community participation and science-based methods to restore forest ecosystems and promote biodiversity recovery.

Notes:
A rare scarlet dragonfly was recently spotted in the valleys of Munnar in Kerala’s Western Ghats. Its scientific name is Crocothemis erythraea. It is also known by common names such as broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter. This dragonfly belongs to the family Libellulidae. It is widely distributed in southern Europe, Africa, western Asia, and extends up to southern China. It prefers habitats near rivers, streams, and ponds in sunny locations. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is classified as Least Concern.

Notes:
Kashmir Fisheries Department plans to reintroduce Brown trout (Salmo trutta) into the Valley for game. Brown trout is a salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus Salmo. It is globally introduced as a game fish and is one of the world’s worst invasive species outside its native range. It is a cold-water fish preferring cool, well-oxygenated freshwater and lives in crevices between stream boulders. It is native to northern Norway, White Sea tributaries in Russia, to Atlas Mountains in North Africa; Iceland in the west, Aral Sea tributaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east.

Notes:
Union Environment Ministry approved the capture of eight tigers from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench reserves for translocation to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in western Maharashtra. Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is the first tiger reserve of western Maharashtra and the fourth in the state. It covers two protected areas: Koyana Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) and Chandoli National Park (CNP). The Shivsagar reservoir of Koyana River and Vasant Sagar reservoir of Warana River lie in its central part.

Notes:
West Bengal has mapped two wolf corridors near industrial town Durgapur, less than 200 km from Kolkata. This is the first such initiative in India under the Indian Grey Wolf Conservation Project in West Burdwan. Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS), Bengal Forest Department, and WWF-India jointly carried out the mapping. At least 30 wolves in four packs were identified using these corridors. Earlier in 2024, a study found 15–24 wolves near Durgapur, showing growing conservation importance.