Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) have shown that local ecological knowledge of the Adi community can improve efforts to track the critically endangered Chinese pangolin. Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a small, nocturnal mammal fully covered in protective keratin scales. It inhabits subtropical, tropical, and deciduous forests and is distributed across southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hainan, parts of Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The species has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
Amazonian stingless bees have become the first insects in the world to be granted legal rights. The decision was taken through a landmark ordinance passed by local municipalities in Peru. The law recognises their right to exist, survive, and flourish. This step highlights their critical role as pollinators in the Amazon rainforest ecosystem. It also acknowledges their importance to biodiversity, agriculture, and Indigenous communities. The move sets a global precedent for legal protection of insects and nature.

Notes:
The Central Empowered Committee recommended restoring the Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) to its original 2016 extent. Bannerghatta National Park is located in the Anekal range hills near Bengaluru, Karnataka. India’s first butterfly enclosure was opened here in 2006. The Suvarnamukhi stream flows through the park and is the main water source for wildlife. It is a key habitat for endangered Asian elephants, tigers, leopards, Indian gaur, deer species, sloth bear, pangolin, and slender loris.

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The Indian Skimmer Conservation Project was launched by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). BNHS, established in 1883, is one of India’s largest non-governmental organizations working on conservation and biodiversity research. The Indian Skimmer is native to South Asia, mainly found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and extends to Nepal and Myanmar. It has a unique feeding method, skimming the water surface with its specialised beak, where the lower mandible is longer. The species inhabits sandy lowland rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coastal areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Indian Skimmer is Endangered.

Notes:
The Finke River, called Larapinta by the Arrernte people, is believed to be the world’s oldest river system. It is a major but intermittent river located in central Australia. The river originates in the MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory. It forms from the meeting of Davenport Creek and Ormiston Creek. The river flows for about 600 kilometres towards the Simpson Desert in South Australia. Geological evidence dates the river to the Devonian or Carboniferous period, around 300–400 million years ago. For most of the year, it appears as scattered waterholes but becomes fast-flowing after heavy rains.

Notes:
A drone-based survey by the Odisha Forest and Environment Department shows that the saltwater crocodile population is increasing. The saltwater crocodile is the largest and heaviest living reptile and is also known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile. It lives in saltwater, brackish wetlands, rivers, and mangroves. The species is found along India’s east coast, Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and Micronesia. In India, it occurs in Odisha, West Bengal, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with Odisha having the highest population in natural habitat. It is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
The Tripura Forest Minister announced that the state has received over ₹57 crore for the modernisation and further development of Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary. Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Sepahijala district of Tripura. The sanctuary includes important water bodies such as Abasarika Lake and Amrit Sagar Lake. Clouded Leopard National Park is a part of the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary.

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:
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new flowering plant species named Dicliptera pakhalica. The discovery was made in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary located in Warangal district of Telangana. The sanctuary is dominated by mixed deciduous forest vegetation. The area has rich plant diversity including bamboo and teak trees.

Notes:
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary recorded over five lakh birds of about 200 species in the latest census, showing a 21% rise from 4.12 lakh birds in 2024. The increase is mainly due to no boating, reduced tourist movement, and very low noise pollution over the last two years. It is located around 64 kilometres west of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. “Nal Sarovar” means Tap Lake and it is a natural shallow lake with muddy lagoons and 36 small islets.