Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
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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Southern right whales are producing fewer calves, signaling environmental disruption caused by climate change and changes in ocean ecosystems. They are one of four species of right whales, which are marine mammals that breathe air at the surface and depend on oceans for survival. Historically, whalers called them the “right” whales because they were easy to kill and provided valuable resources like blubber, oil, and baleen. They are distributed across Southern Hemisphere oceans, inhabiting sheltered bays and traveling to cold Antarctic waters in summer. Conservation status is Least Concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Decline in calf production is a critical indicator of ecosystem stress and may impact long-term population sustainability.

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A 59-year-old woman was recently killed by a saltwater crocodile in the Kharasrota River in Odisha. Kharasrota River is a tributary of the Brahmani River, a major east-flowing river in Odisha. The river originates from the Eastern Ghats in Keonjhar district. It flows through Jajpur and Kendrapara districts before joining the Brahmani River near the Dhamra estuary, close to the Bay of Bengal. The river passes through the Bhitarkanika region, an ecologically sensitive mangrove area known for saltwater crocodiles. Kharasrota River is a lifeline for irrigation and drinking water in Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.

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Foresters at Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, recently recorded the rare sighting of a striped hyena, locally known as katte kiruba. Kali Tiger Reserve is located in the biologically rich Western Ghats. The reserve comprises the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park. These two protected areas are contiguous, forming a single continuous habitat. The Kali River flows through the reserve and serves as the main water source for Uttara Kannada district. The reserve is named after the Kali River.

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Kashmir’s first Chrysanthemum garden has recently been opened for tourists. Chrysanthemum is a genus of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Asia and northeastern Europe and blooms in autumn. The plant grows 50–150 cm tall with deeply lobed leaves and large flowerheads in white, yellow, or pink. It thrives in subtropical and temperate areas with tropical and subtropical climate.

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Recently, Cyclone Montha made landfall along the Bay of Bengal coast. The name “Montha” means a fragrant flower in the Thai language. It is a tropical cyclone, a rapidly rotating storm formed over tropical oceans around a low-pressure system. Such storms are called Hurricanes in the Atlantic, Typhoons in the Western Pacific and South China Sea, and Willy-willies in Western Australia.

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A butterfly and moth survey will soon be held at Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Mulugu. It is located in Telangana. Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1952. The Godavari River flows through the sanctuary. A stream named Dayyam Vagu divides the sanctuary into two parts. The terrain includes steep and gentle slopes, giving it rich biodiversity.

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A photographer in Spain recently spotted the world’s first-ever white Iberian lynx, a rare sighting. The Iberian lynx is a carnivorous species endemic to Europe. It is one of the world’s most endangered wild cats, recognized by its pointy ears, long legs, and spotted fur. It is nocturnal, mainly hunting rabbits, its primary prey. It is found only in southwest Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, west of the Pyrenees.

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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).

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Recently, the Assam State Zoo team reported the first case of albinism in the checkered keelback, also called the Asian water snake. The checkered keelback is a medium-sized non-venomous snake native to Asia. It is widely found across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It lives in freshwater habitats like ponds, marshes, and rice fields. It is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.