Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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The Uttarakhand Forest Department’s latest report highlights the conservation of 2,228 plant species. It includes rare plants like the White Himalayan Lily and Tree Fern. The White Himalayan Lily (Lilium polyphyllum) is native to the Himalayas and has white or pink flowers with dark spots. It contains important chemicals like alkaloids and furocoumarins. Traditionally, it is used to treat conditions like excessive thirst, vomiting blood, bronchitis, and rheumatism. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as Critically Endangered.

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Two native stingless bee varieties from Nagaland, Etragonula iridipennis and Lepidotrigona arcifera, have been found helpful to farmers recently. Stingless bees are found in India, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. They are smaller in size and usually black, unlike the larger, light brown honeybees with yellow bands. They cannot sting as their stinger is vestigial, meaning it is non-functional. Though they produce less honey overall, each stingless bee makes more honey than a honeybee. Their queens mate with one drone from another colony, and colonies include worker bees and one mated queen. Hive cells are either spiral or randomly arranged in hexagonal shapes. These bees play a major role in pollination and give high-quality medicinal honey. Their discovery in Nagaland highlights their value for sustainable farming and biodiversity.

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On May 27, 2025, large amounts of tiny plastic pellets called nurdles were found along the coast of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This followed the sinking of the Liberian cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 on May 25, 2025, which carried containers with hazardous materials. Nurdles are small plastic pellets, 1 to 5 millimeters in size, used as raw materials in plastic manufacturing. They are made of plastics like Low-Density Polyethene (LDPE) and High-Density Polyethene (HDPE). Nurdles are harmful because marine animals ingest them, causing health problems and threatening ecosystems. The incident highlights ongoing marine pollution risks linked to growing global plastic production.

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The Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh recently put on hold its order that imposed a user charge on visitors to the Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary in Sirmaur district. Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It lies in the Shivalik range of the Himalayas and was established in 1985. The sanctuary covers an area of 56 square kilometres and surrounds the Churdhar Peak, also known as Choordhar. Churdhar Peak is the highest peak in the outer Himalayas. From the peak, one can view the wild Gangetic plains and Satluj River in the south and Badrinath in the north. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at the peak gives the sanctuary spiritual importance.

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Visakhapatnam’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is celebrating World Dhole Day on May 28 to raise awareness about the endangered dhole. Dholes, also called the Asiatic wild dog, have the scientific name Cuon alpinus. They are wild canids native to Southeast Asia and are known for their strong social behavior and teamwork in hunting. Dholes usually live 10 to 13 years in the wild and up to 16 years in captivity. Their global population is estimated between 949 and 2,215 adults, mostly in India and Thailand. Major threats include habitat loss, reduced prey, human persecution, disease, and competition with other predators. Dholes are listed in Appendix II of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. They are also classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, which tracks global species conservation status.

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Recently, due to continuous rainfall in Dakshina Kannada district, the water level of the Netravati River has risen sharply, leading to precautionary evacuation from low-lying areas. The Netravati River is a major west-flowing river in Karnataka and is often called the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada district. It originates from the Bangrabalige Valley of Yelaneeru Ghat in the Kudremukha range of the Western Ghats in Karnataka. The river starts at an elevation of about 1,300 meters in Chikkamagaluru district. It merges with its main tributary, the Kumaradhara River, at Uppinangadi.

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The Union Ministry of Environment recently declared two new Ramsar sites in Rajasthan: Menar in Udaipur and Khichan in Phalodi. Menar is a freshwater monsoon wetland formed by Braham talab, Dhand talab, Kheroda talab, and nearby farmland that floods during monsoon. It supports water birds like the critically endangered white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture. Khichan in the Thar Desert includes Ratri river and Vijaysagar pond, and supports 150 bird species.

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A new species of parasitic wasp named Losgna occidentalis was discovered in Chandigarh, highlighting India’s rich but unexplored biodiversity. It was found during winter 2023–24 in an urban dry scrub forest and marks the first insect species formally described from Chandigarh. The wasp belongs to the Ichneumonidae family, known for laying eggs inside or on other arthropods. This discovery revives the Losgna genus in India after nearly 60 years since its last record in 1965.

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Recently, Ohler’s Spiny Frog was discovered near a waterfall in Vietnam, measuring over 4 inches in length. It is a large and stout frog with a spiny chest, belonging to the Quasipaa or related genera. These frogs are found in fast-flowing rocky streams in evergreen forests. Their habitat includes northern Vietnam, southern China, and the Himalayan foothills. The discovery challenges existing conservation norms due to its unique features and habitat needs. It highlights the rich but fragile biodiversity of Southeast Asia’s forest ecosystems.

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The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) recently announced the successful birth of a mouse deer, highlighting its conservation and breeding success. The mouse deer, also called the Indian Chevrotain, is the smallest deer species and is known for its shy and elusive behavior. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, mainly found in peninsular India, with some old records from Nepal, and a separate species in Sri Lanka. In India, it is seen in Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats up to Odisha, and central Indian forests.