Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The principal rainy season for the Indian subcontinent, June to September, is referred to as the ‘Southwest Monsoon’ period.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that the Southwest Monsoon has arrived over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which is an indication that it will reach the mainland soon.

Notes:
A team of Australian scientists has discovered a new species of a tree frog from the rainforests of New Guinea.
Also called as the “chocolate frog” due to its chocolate colour, it belongs to the Australasian tree frog genus Litoria. Hence the new species was named as ‘Litoria mira’. The closest known relative of this new species is the Australian green tree frog.

Notes:
The Australotitan cooperensis has been recently identified as the biggest dinosaur of Australia. This was announced after its bones were first uncovered.
This is a part of the titanosaur family that lived about 100 million years ago. It is estimated to had a height of 5-6.5 metres and a length of 25-30 metres. Based on the limb size comparisons, this new titanosaur is estimated to be in the top five largest in the world.

Notes:
A new species of berrypecker named “satin berrypecker” has been discovered in the Kumawa Mountains of western New Guinea.
Berrypecker is a very small bird family restricted to the mountain forests of New Guinea. “Satin berrypecker” is the 6th species to be discovered and is distinct from other members of the genus in term of coloration, morphological measurements, and genetic markers.

Notes:
Ambergris, or grey amber, is a solid waxy substance of grey colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.
Also called as whale vomit or floating gold, it is highly demanded in the international market. Over 9 kg of Ambergris was seized by the Mumbai Police over the past 15 days. It is used to create fragrances like musk and in some traditional medicines.

Notes:
Scientifically referred to as Hylocereusundatus, the dragon fruit is called as ‘Kamalam’ in India, due to its resemblance to a lotus flower.
Recently, India exported its first consignment of the Dragon Fruit sourced from the farmers of Sangli district, Maharashtra to Dubai, as per the announcement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Notes:
According to the first aerial survey in two years, the number of Saiga in Kazakhstan has increased from 334,000 to 842,000.
Saiga is a rare type of antelope, which was considered to at the brink of extinction following a mass die-off in 2015. After a series of conservation measures, the population of the rare antelope has more than doubled since 2019. The Saigas give birth to twins every year.

Notes:
At least 841 of the manatees have died this year in the US state of Florida, mainly from starvation. Manatees are large, aquatic marine mammals, also known as sea cows. They are generally herbivores.
In 2013, as many as 830 manatees died after exposure to harmful algae. The main issue is the increasing waste contamination of Florida’s waterways, which leads to the accumulation of algae and the loss of seagrass. Most of the deaths are said to have happened when manatees migrated to the Indian River Lagoon, where most seagrass had died.

Notes:
The “Monk Fruit”, which is originally grown in China, is known for its property of “non-caloric natural sweetener.
The CSIR has commenced its field trials of growing the Monk Fruit in Himachal Pradesh at the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Kullu. The trials commenced three years after the seeds were imported from China.

Notes:
Hilsa, the pricey fish has been caught in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand for the first time in three decades. The fish lives in the seas but spawns in the rivers.
This has been witnessed after the gates and fish locks of Farakka barrage were changed to allow the upstream migration of the fish. Hilsa or ilish, has been the favourite gift to Indian leaders from the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It depleted after the Farakka barrage was constructed in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal and nets were put on the Bangladesh side.