Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Maharashtra Forest Department has recently partnered with Microsoft and Centre for Youth Development and Activities (CYDA), Pune, to solve socio-ecological issues in Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary. Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected forest located in the Western Ghats near Pune, Maharashtra. It includes 12 compartments from Paund and Sinhgad ranges in Pune division and 8 compartments from Mangaon range in Roha division of Thane.

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A new species of beetle called Spathaspina noohi was recently discovered in the biodiverse forests of Meghalaya, India. It was found in the Umran area of Ri Bhoi district at an altitude of 781 metres. This beetle belongs to the weevil family, scientifically known as Curculionidae, which has over 60,000 species worldwide. Unlike some weevils that harm crops, Spathaspina noohi helps maintain ecological balance by controlling invasive plants.

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A year-long camera-trap study by Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF) revealed 80–85 wild leopards live in forests and scrublands around Bengaluru. This makes Bengaluru the large metro city with the highest number of free-ranging leopards, surpassing Mumbai’s count of around 54. The survey recorded 54 leopards inside Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and about 30 in nearby reserved and private forests.

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The Maharashtra Forest Department has recently launched a bus safari service at Nandur Madhyameshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Nashik district. The sanctuary is known as the “Bharatpur of Maharashtra,” a title given by famous Indian ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali. It is located in Nashik district, Maharashtra. The new safari aims to boost eco-tourism and create awareness about wetland biodiversity.

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A new flowering plant species named Portulaca bharat was recently discovered in the Aravali hills near Jaipur. It is endemic to India and currently known only from the Galtaji hills. Its limited distribution and specific habitat make it highly vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss. The plant has unique features like opposite and slightly concave leaves, pale-yellow flowers that turn creamish-white at the tip, thick roots, and glandular hairs on stamen filaments. This rare discovery highlights the ecological importance of the Aravali region.

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Kannampadi, a tribal settlement in the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala, is getting three new libraries to support tribal students and residents. This marks a new chapter in education and learning opportunities for the local community. Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kerala. The region features steep mountains, valleys, and hills with altitudes between 450 to 1272 meters. Vanjur Medu is the highest peak at 1272 meters.

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Due to soaring market demand, overharvesting has pushed wild agarwood close to extinction. Aquilaria malaccensis, also called agarwood, is a tree from the Thymelaeaceae family known for its fragrant resin. Agarwood, also known as Oud, Gaharu or Agar, is one of the most valuable incense materials globally. It grows naturally in Northeast India, mainly in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Forest officials in Arunachal Pradesh recently discovered a new flowering plant species named Begonia nyishiorum in the East Kameng district. Begonia nyishiorum is a flowering plant that grows only in East Kameng, making it an endemic species. It grows on moist, shaded mountain slopes at altitudes between 1,500 and 3,000 metres above sea level. The name “nyishiorum” honours the Nyishi tribal community for their forest protection efforts.

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Environmentalists recently raised alarm over the approval of an eco-tourism resort on Surla plateau inside Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies in a critical tiger habitat. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North Goa in the Western Ghats. It is named after the Mhadei River that flows through it and features scenic waterfalls like Vazra Sakla Falls and Virdi Falls. Goa’s three highest peaks—Sonsogod, Talvche Sada, and Vagheri—are located within the sanctuary. Forests are dense with semi-evergreen and moist deciduous trees like teak, sal, bamboo, orchids, and medicinal plants.

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The Pale-capped Pigeon was recently spotted in Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam, marking a rare and important sighting for birdwatchers and conservationists. It is also called the Purple Wood Pigeon due to its dark purplish-maroon colour. It is found locally across parts of northern and northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The bird lives mainly in primary or secondary evergreen forests, and also in bamboo groves and farmlands near forests.