Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A tiger from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh traveled 400 km to Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. Achanakmar Tiger Reserve is located in Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh. It was established in 1975, and declared a tiger reserve in 2009. It is part of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve and connects to Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves via a corridor. The Maniyari River flows through the reserve, sustaining the forest. The reserve hosts the Baiga tribe, a “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG),” with 25 villages in its core area.

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The Maharashtra government plans to propose Lonar Lake for UNESCO World Heritage status. Located in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, it is a lagoon created by a meteorite impact 50,000 years ago. It is the only known saline crater lake in the world, with water seven times saltier than seawater. The lake spans 1.2 kilometers in diameter and is 150 meters deep, surrounded by hills. Its color changes from green to pink due to microorganisms that thrive in the lake’s saline and alkaline environment.

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Researchers from Virginia Tech tagged a young shortfin mako shark in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in summer 2023. The shark, a critically endangered species, was tagged during a white shark research expedition. The tag, called a “pop-off archival tag,” collects data on water temperature, depth, and light levels, estimating the shark’s movements. The tagged shark traveled over 750 miles in 54 days, showing young sharks cover vast distances. Protecting nursery areas alone may not suffice due to their extensive travels. Sharks are vital for ocean health, connecting habitats and supporting ecosystem balance, benefiting human activities.

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The white-winged wood duck, Assam’s state bird, was recently spotted in Neelmoni Beel, an artificial pond at Nameri Tiger Reserve. It is one of the world’s most endangered ducks, with only about 800 surviving globally and 450 found in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. In India, it inhabits Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, preferring dense tropical forests and swampy areas. Known as ‘Deo Hans’ or Spirit Duck for its ghostly call, it has a black body, white-spotted head, red-orange eyes, and averages 81 cm in length. The duck is crepuscular, omnivorous, and listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN.

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A team from Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) discovered five new species of Darwin wasps from India and Thailand. These parasitoid wasps parasitize insects like moths, beetles, and ants. They have a head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, and large compound eyes. Females lay eggs on host larvae or pupae. Some use their ovipositors to drill into wood. The wasps help control crop-damaging pests like aphids and caterpillars. Four new species were found in India: Microleptes chiani (Tamil Nadu), Microleptes gowrishankari (Karnataka), Microleptes sandeshkaduri (Arunachal Pradesh), and Microleptes tehriensis (Uttarakhand).

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Madhya Pradesh plans to create a cheetah habitat in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 2,500 sq. km across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is located in northwestern Madhya Pradesh. It lies in the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion along the Chambal River. Declared a sanctuary in 1974, it covers 368 sq. km and is recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). The sanctuary features diverse topography, including hills, plateaus, and the catchment area of the Gandhi Sagar Dam, enhancing its ecological richness.

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The Northern giant hornet, nicknamed the “murder hornet,” has been eradicated in the U.S., as confirmed by the Department of Agriculture. It is the largest hornet in the world, growing up to 2 inches long, and inhabits lower altitude forests while avoiding plains and high altitudes. Native to China, Korea, Japan, and India, it is an invasive species threatening insects and pollinators. It can destroy an entire beehive in 90 minutes, feeding the brood to its young and defending the hive as its own. The hornet stings multiple times, delivering venom seven times stronger than a honey bee’s sting, even piercing beekeeper suits. It primarily preys on native insects like butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees, and wasps, indirectly harming plants dependent on honey bee pollination.

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A three-year-old female tiger from Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha wandered into the Bandwan area of Purulia district, West Bengal. Similipal Tiger Reserve is located in the Mayurbhanj District. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1956. It was included under Project Tiger in 1973 and became part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2009. The reserve is known for its undulating terrain, grasslands, and a mix of tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests. This Tiger Reserve uniquely hosts melanistic (black) tigers.

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Assam introduced Anti-Depredation Squads near Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in east of Guwahati, Assam. It was established in 1998 and spans 48.81 sq km. It is part of the Brahmaputra floodplains and includes Rajamayong and Pobitora Reserve Forests. The sanctuary is surrounded by small hills like Kasasila, Hatimuria, Boha, Kardia, Govardan, and Panbari. Pobitora has the highest density of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in India. It contributed to the Indian Rhinoceros Vision 2020 by translocating eight rhinos to Manas National Park.

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A four-day faunal survey at Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary enriched its biodiversity records. Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kollam, Kerala, in the southern Western Ghats. It covers 172 sq. km and is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. The terrain is mostly hilly with ravines, featuring rich biodiversity. The sanctuary’s rivers, Shendurney, Kazhuthuruthy, and Kulathupuzha, merge to form the Kallada River. The sanctuary plays a key role in conserving the unique flora and fauna of the Western Ghats.