Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) population at Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary has increased to a total of 300. Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu and was established to protect blackbuck antelopes. Blackbuck is an antelope species native to India and Nepal, primarily inhabiting open grasslands, dry scrub, and lightly forested areas. It is distributed across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other parts of peninsular India.

Notes:
Forest staff at Anamalai Tiger Reserve will use the Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (MSTrIPES) app for wildlife census. MSTrIPES is a software-based system for monitoring and protecting tiger habitats. It was launched in 2010 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) with the Wildlife Institute of India. It supports wildlife protection, monitoring, and management of Protected Areas. The system has a central desktop and online analysis tool, and an Android mobile application. The mobile app records field observations and patrol tracks using Global Positioning System (GPS).

Notes:
A new species of ginger named Parakaempferia alba has been discovered in the Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae, which is the ginger family of flowering plants. The species was found in the Miglung area of East Siang District. It grows at an altitude ranging from 150 to 400 metres above sea level. The plant thrives along shaded streambanks. It prefers humid conditions with sandy soil, which support its growth. This discovery highlights the rich plant biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayan region.

Notes:
A new plant species named Hoya nagaensis was discovered in the high-altitude forests of Nagaland. It belongs to the wax plant family and the Hoya genus, known for ornamental plants. The species was found in the Kavunhou Community Reserved Forest in Phek district. It is currently known from only one location, making it highly vulnerable. The plant grows in a little-explored temperate forest ecosystem. It shows unique leaf shapes and distinctive star-shaped flowers.

Notes:
Iran has used cloud seeding by spraying chemicals over the Urmia Lake basin to induce rainfall amid the worst drought in decades. Lake Urmia, also called Lake Oromeeh, is located in the Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran. It is the largest lake in the Middle East. The lake is a terminal lake, meaning it has no outlet and is highly saline. It receives water mainly from the Talkheh River in the northeast.

Notes:
A new trapdoor spider species, Titanidiops kolhapurensis, was discovered in the grasslands of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. It was found by researchers from Thackeray Wildlife Foundation and Shivaji University, Kolhapur. The spider creates vertical or slanted burrows in flat or sloping grassy meadows. Its burrow entrances are highly camouflaged, blending with soil and grass. The species thrives in natural forests and native grasslands. It is absent in areas dominated by exotic plantations like Gliricidia sepium (Undirmari). Due to rapid habitat degradation, it faces the risk of local extinction.

Notes:
The Himalayan Griffon Vulture was recently sighted in Melghat, Maharashtra, influenced by the presence of captive-bred vultures released in the area. It is one of the nine vulture species found in India and belongs to the Old World vultures group. It is mainly found in the Himalayan and Tibetan regions and Central Asian mountains, with limited altitudinal migration into northern India. It is a huge vulture weighing up to 12 kilograms, with long wings adapted for soaring on wind thermals. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is listed as Near Threatened.

Notes:
Chhattisgarh Forest Department started six hornbill restaurants in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve to support the Malabar Pied Hornbill and promote natural forest growth. Malabar Pied Hornbill, scientifically called Anthracoceros coronatus, belongs to the hornbill family. It is a medium-sized bird with black and white feathers and a large casque on its beak. It lives in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, often near human settlements. It is found in Western Ghats, north-eastern Himalayan foothills, Satpuda Hills, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is listed as Near Threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss.

Notes:
Recent study shows lion-tailed macaque population is stable and increasing in some plantation-dominated areas.
Lion-tailed macaque is an endemic primate of Western Ghats. International Union for Conservation of Nature status is Endangered. It is called bearded monkey due to grey mane and has lion-like tail. It is found in evergreen rainforests of southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Two genetically distinct groups exist on either side of Palghat Gap.

Notes:
A lone Ferruginous Pochard was recently sighted at Amoor Lake in Chennai along with a flock of Common Pochards. The Ferruginous Pochard, also called the ferruginous duck or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck native to the Eurosiberian region. It prefers shallow freshwater wetlands with rich submerged and floating vegetation and dense emergent plants along the margins. The species is distributed across Europe, Asia and parts of Africa, and winters mainly around the Mediterranean Basin and Black Sea. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is classified as Near Threatened.