Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Salween River, also called the Nu River in China and Thanlwin in Myanmar, is a transboundary river shared by China, Myanmar, and Thailand, recently facing arsenic pollution from mining in Myanmar. It is about 2400 km long and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in mainland Southeast Asia. The river originates in the Tibetan region of the eastern Himalayas at around 4,000 meters and flows through Yunnan, Myanmar, and along the Myanmar–Thailand border before draining into the Gulf of Martaban in the Andaman Sea. Its upper course runs parallel to the Mekong and Yangtze rivers, forming the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan.

Notes:
Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary has been designated a Ramsar Site, taking India’s total to 99. A Ramsar Site is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It is located in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh in the Gangetic plains. It is a typical monsoonal wetland with a freshwater, perennial water body.

Notes:
Recently, a special polling station was set up inside the Srivilliputhur–Meghamalai Tiger Reserve for just five voters, highlighting electoral accessibility in remote areas. The reserve is located in Tamil Nadu within the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. It was formed by merging the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. It acts as a vital wildlife corridor connecting Periyar Tiger Reserve and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The reserve is sustained by major rivers such as Vaigai, Suruliyaru, and Shanmuganathi.

Notes:
Scientists observed that Barbary Macaque populations in Gibraltar practice geophagy (soil-eating behavior). The behavior is linked to consumption of tourist-provided junk food, which disturbs their natural diet. Barbary Macaque is the only macaque species found outside Asia and the only non-human primate in North Africa and Europe. It is naturally distributed in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco, with an introduced population in Gibraltar. It inhabits cedar forests, rocky cliffs, and mountainous regions. The IUCN status of Barbary Macaque is Endangered.

Notes:
A rare medicinal mushroom species, Cordyceps, was recently discovered in East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, attracting scientific and commercial interest. Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that grows on insect larvae, gradually replacing the host tissue and producing long stem-like structures. It is found across the world except Antarctica, while the rarest and most valuable species occur in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and China. Popularly called “Himalayan gold,” it is highly valued in traditional medicine, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical research due to its expensive market price.

Notes:
India’s first Human-Elephant Conflict Research Centre will be established at Palamu Tiger Reserve. The tiger reserve is located on the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and forms part of Betla National Park. Palamu was among the first nine tiger reserves created under Project Tiger. It was also the first reserve in the world where a tiger census was conducted through the pugmark counting method in 1932. The reserve has an undulating terrain consisting of valleys, hills, plains, granite, limestone, and gneiss formations.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new flowering plant species named Sonerila roxburghii in the Western Ghats region of Kerala. The species was found in the Mankulam and Kallar areas of Idukki district at high-altitude rocky habitats. It belongs to the Sonerila genus of the Melastomataceae family. The plant was named in honour of William Roxburgh. It is characterised by light pink flowers, smooth flattened leaves, and stems reaching up to 60 cm in height. Due to its highly restricted habitat, the species has been classified as Critically Endangered.

Notes:
Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and is globally famous for its floating islands called phumdis. It is located in Manipur. Phumdis are floating masses of vegetation, soil, and organic matter that support fishing huts, settlements, and wildlife habitats. Keibul Lamjao National Park, located within the lake, is the world’s only floating national park and the natural habitat of the endangered Sangai deer. Recent reports also highlighted concerns about pollution, shrinking phumdis, and ecological imbalance affecting the lake ecosystem

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new evergreen tree species named Humboldtia nairiana from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala. The species belongs to the genus Humboldtia and was identified in the riparian forests of Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing 5–8 metres tall. The species is strictly endemic to Kerala and is currently known only from the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.

Notes:
A rare Himalayan Brown Bear was recently captured on camera in Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located in Himachal Pradesh in the catchment area of the Siul Nala, a tributary of the Ravi River. It shares its northern boundary with Jammu and Kashmir. The sanctuary is notable for being the only sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh where the Kashmir Stag has been reported.