Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, at least 20 red-crowned roofed turtles were re-introduced into the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh to boost their population. The red-crowned roofed turtle, also known as the Bengal roof turtle, is native to India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India, the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary is currently the only area with a good population of this species. It is a freshwater turtle that lives in deep flowing rivers and uses land areas for nesting. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

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Tissue-cultured teak is being promoted in India as a high-yield, fast-return solution to enhance timber cultivation and trade, sparking discussions on its economic and ecological impact. Teak (Tectona grandis) is renowned for its strength, durability, and resistance to pests and water, earning it the title “king of timbers.” It is a valuable tropical hardwood used in shipbuilding, furniture, and flooring. India holds 35% of the world’s planted teak forests, with Asia contributing over 95% of global teak resources. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have the largest areas of native teak forests, according to the FAO Global Teak Resources and Market Assessment 2022. Teak is native to South and Southeast Asia and grows mainly in moist deciduous forests.

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A new study reveals that Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano, which collapsed in 2018 causing a deadly tsunami, showed warning signs years in advance. Anak Krakatau, meaning “Child of Krakatoa,” is located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. It is a stratovolcano, formed by alternating layers of solidified lava and ash. The volcano sits at the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Anak Krakatau is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone around the Pacific Ocean. In December 2018, its southwest flank collapsed, generating a tsunami that killed over 400 people and caused widespread destruction.

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Chinese scientists recently used classical Chinese poems to trace the decline of the Yangtze finless porpoise from the Tang Dynasty to the People’s Republic of China. This is the only known freshwater porpoise species in the world and is found only in the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia. The study showcases how ancient literature can help track biodiversity changes across more than 1,000 years. The Yangtze finless porpoise is small, slow-moving, and shows intelligence like gorillas. It is a key indicator species of freshwater health and is listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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Recently, over 20 people died in the southern United States due to severe storms and tornado outbreaks in Missouri and Kentucky. A tornado is a vertical column of violently rotating air that stretches from a thunderstorm to the ground. It usually appears as a funnel-shaped cloud, but in dry conditions, it may only be seen as swirling dust or debris. If this rotating column forms over water, it is called a waterspout. Tornadoes have wind speeds ranging from 105 to 322 kilometres per hour (km/h), but some can be even stronger. They can move rapidly, often at about 97 km/h, making them extremely dangerous.

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Recently, Calotes zolaiking, a rare garden lizard species, was recorded for the first time in Meghalaya. It was first described in 2019 from Aizawl district in Mizoram by a team of scientists. This lizard is about 5 inches long and has green shades with dark patches and sharp ridged scales called “strongly keeled” scales. Calotes belong to the Agamidae family and are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. India is home to 14 Calotes species, found in gardens and forests across India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands.

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A rare Arctic seabird, the Sabine’s Gull, was recently spotted at Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat — its first sighting in India since 2013 in Kerala. Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is located in Gujarat. It was declared a sanctuary in 1969 and became a Ramsar Site in 2012 under the Ramsar Convention. It hosts 48 algae and 72 flowering plant species, supporting rich birdlife and biodiversity.

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Four men were caught using feral dogs to hunt monitor lizards in the Achampet division of Amrabad Tiger Reserve. Amrabad Tiger Reserve is in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts in southern Telangana. It is part of the Nallamala Forest in the Eastern Ghats. It is India’s second largest tiger reserve by core area. It was part of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve before Andhra Pradesh and Telangana split in 2014.

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A year-long camera-trap survey by Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF), led by conservation biologist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, revealed 80–85 wild leopards around Bengaluru. This makes Bengaluru the metro city with the highest number of free-ranging leopards, surpassing Mumbai’s 54 leopards. The survey recorded 54 leopards inside Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and 30 in surrounding reserved and private forests. Bannerghatta National Park is located in Karnataka.

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Recently, scientists discovered a new bat species called Himalayan long-tailed Myotis, or Myotis himalaicus, in the Western Himalayan region. It belongs to the Myotis frater complex, a group of similar bat species found across eastern China, Taiwan, Siberia, Korea, Japan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This new species is found mainly in Deodar, Pine, and Cedar forests along the southern slopes of the Himalayas. It is considered a rare and native species of the region.