Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
West Bengal has mapped two wolf corridors near industrial town Durgapur, less than 200 km from Kolkata. This is the first such initiative in India under the Indian Grey Wolf Conservation Project in West Burdwan. Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS), Bengal Forest Department, and WWF-India jointly carried out the mapping. At least 30 wolves in four packs were identified using these corridors. Earlier in 2024, a study found 15–24 wolves near Durgapur, showing growing conservation importance.

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Researchers recently discovered a new fungus species named Bridgeoporus kanadii in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. It has exceptionally large fruiting bodies, some measuring over three meters in radius, strong enough to hold a person’s weight. The species is named after Indian mycologist Kanad Das for his work on Indian macrofungi. The only other known species, Bridgeoporus nobilissimus, found in North America, has fruiting bodies up to 1.5 meters, making B. kanadii nearly twice as large. It grows mainly on dead fir trees and helps in forest regeneration by decomposing dead wood. It is inedible and has no direct economic value.

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The Madras High Court recently ordered action against illegal resorts and tourist lodges within the prohibited zone of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is located in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu. It lies at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The reserve covers an area of over 1,400 square kilometres. It connects with Mudumalai, Bandipur, and Biligiri Ranganatha (BR) Tiger Reserves, forming a large tiger landscape.

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has for the first time evaluated the Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) separately. It is a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found in the Indian subcontinent and Southwest Asia. The Indian wolf is primarily found in India and Pakistan, historically confined south of the Himalayas. Its current range spans 16 Indian states, with major populations in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. It is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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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 spotted deer population is declining rapidly in the Konark-Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha. The sanctuary is located in Puri district, Odisha and was declared on 23 April 1984. It covers a sandy coastal tract between Puri and Konark, planted with casuarina and cashew trees. Spotted deer is the most common deer species in Indian forests. It is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Central Asian countries recently endorsed a six-year work programme under the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) to conserve 17 iconic migratory mammal species. The meeting was hosted by the Government of Uzbekistan under its presidency of the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). CAMI was launched in 2014 at COP11 to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to address major threats to migratory mammals across Central Asia. The programme covers species such as snow leopard, saiga antelope, Bukhara deer, Persian leopard, and wild yak. The next update of the CAMI resolution will be presented at CMS COP15 in Brazil in March 2026.

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A forest department team recently arrested four people for illegally cutting khair trees in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh. Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. It stretches along the northern banks of the River Ganga and covers parts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor districts. It lies near the ancient town of Hastinapur, known for its cultural and mythological significance.

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A new species of jumping spider named Pilia malenadu was recently discovered in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It was found in Madhugundi, located in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. The species belongs to the Pilia genus of jumping spiders. It was named “Pilia malenadu” to honour the region where it was discovered. This is a historic find as the last Pilia species was recorded 123 years ago in 1902 in Kerala. For the first time, researchers found both male and female spiders of this genus.

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The Forest Department is set to begin the next tiger census in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR). Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is located in the Nallamala hill ranges, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of India’s largest tiger reserves, covering 3,728 square kilometres. It supports the largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghats landscape. The reserve is named after the Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam Dams. It includes Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM).