Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Around 100 wild boars were found dead in Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary in March, likely due to toxic waste contamination in Nangal Lake. Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills, Rupnagar district, Punjab. The sanctuary covers 116 hectares and is part of the Nangal Wetland on the Sutlej River. It lies within a man-made reservoir built under the Bhakra-Nangal Project.

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Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) status from Endangered to Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts. It is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. The name refers to the green fat under its shell, not the shell’s color, which ranges from olive to black. Juveniles are carnivorous, but adults are herbivorous, feeding mainly on seagrass and algae. It acts as a keystone species, maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. It has a small head, toothless beak-like jaws, and excellent hearing and smell. The turtle spends most of its life underwater, coming ashore only for nesting.

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Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) is set to become India’s first fully solar-powered zoo. The zoo will run entirely on renewable energy generated within the park. A 1 MW captive solar plant has been set up to meet BBP’s power needs. Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) is part of Bannerghatta National Park, which spans 731.8 hectares. The park includes an animal rescue centre, butterfly park, safari zone, and the zoo. This initiative marks a first-of-its-kind move towards sustainability in Indian zoos.

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Researchers recently discovered a new plant species named Tetrataenium manilalianum, adding to the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. It belongs to the carrot family (Umbelliferae/Apiaceae). The species was found in Eravikulam National Park, located in Idukki district of Kerala. It was named in honour of Prof. K.S. Manilal, founder president of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy. The plant grows in grasslands bordering shola forests at high altitudes. It is the first of its kind identified globally and the 48th species in the carrot family. It bears white flowers, has underground rhizomes, and blooms during the monsoon.

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The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda. Saranda Forest is the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, located in Jharkhand. Sal is a moist deciduous tree. Saranda means “the land of seven hundred hills”. Nearly 80% of the local population belongs to Ho, Munda, Oraon, and other primitive tribes. The notification aims to protect biodiversity and support tribal livelihoods.

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Recently, Goa’s only zoo inside Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is set to welcome new animals after 12 years — a barking deer and a pair of sloth bears. Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the northeastern part of Goa. It was established as a refuge for orphaned and injured animals. It has moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests with cane along streams.

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Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recently discovered a new species of slender gecko named Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri. It was found in the Tirumala hill ranges within the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Andhra Pradesh. The species is named after the sacred Venkatadri Hills. It belongs to the genus Hemiphyllodactylus and is the second slender gecko species recorded from Andhra Pradesh, after Hemiphyllodactylus arakuensis. The Venkatadri slender gecko is small, growing just over 2 inches long. It has short limbs and distinctive “spurs” at the base of its tail.

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A photographer in Spain recently spotted the world’s first-ever white Iberian lynx, a rare sighting. The Iberian lynx is a carnivorous species endemic to Europe. It is one of the world’s most endangered wild cats, recognized by its pointy ears, long legs, and spotted fur. It is nocturnal, mainly hunting rabbits, its primary prey. It is found only in southwest Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, west of the Pyrenees.

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Gogabeel Lake in Katihar district, Bihar has recently been designated as a Ramsar site of international importance. It lies in the trans-Gangetic plains and is an ox-bow type wetland. The lake is flanked by River Mahananda in the northeast and River Ganga in the south. It was declared Bihar’s first Community Reserve.

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Two new species of marine amphipods named Grandidierella geetanjalae and Grandidierella khambhatensis were recently discovered by researchers from Chilika and the Gulf of Khambhat. Amphipods are small crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They are found in marine, freshwater, and even land environments across the world. The word “amphipoda” means “different-footed”, as their legs are of varied types and functions. There are over 7,000 known species, mostly under the group Gammaridea. They usually feed on tiny dead plants and animals and also act as scavengers in aquatic ecosystems.