Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A new plant species named Hoya nagaensis was discovered in the high-altitude forests of Nagaland. It belongs to the wax plant family and the Hoya genus, known for ornamental plants. The species was found in the Kavunhou Community Reserved Forest in Phek district. It is currently known from only one location, making it highly vulnerable. The plant grows in a little-explored temperate forest ecosystem. It shows unique leaf shapes and distinctive star-shaped flowers.

Notes:
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary recorded over five lakh birds of about 200 species in the latest census, showing a 21% rise from 4.12 lakh birds in 2024. The increase is mainly due to no boating, reduced tourist movement, and very low noise pollution over the last two years. It is located around 64 kilometres west of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. “Nal Sarovar” means Tap Lake and it is a natural shallow lake with muddy lagoons and 36 small islets.

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The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has launched a digital portal for issuing Certificates of Origin for cultivated medicinal plants. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The portal enables stakeholders to obtain Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) exemptions through an end-to-end online, single-window system.

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A giant female reticulated python found in Sulawesi, Indonesia, is confirmed by Guinness World Records as the longest measured snake at 7.22 metres. The reticulated python belongs to the Pythonidae family and its scientific name is Malayopython reticulatus. It is the world’s longest snake and the third heaviest after the green anaconda and Burmese python. It is a non-venomous constrictor that kills prey by tightening its coils. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, living in tropical forests of India, Indonesia, and nearby regions. Its conservation status is Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife recommended diversion of about 272 hectares of forest for the Kopra Medium Irrigation Project. The diversion lies in the core area of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh. It includes areas of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve lies across the Narmada and Yamuna river basins.

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Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has achieved captive breeding of the mangrove clam Geloina erosa. Mangrove clams, also called mud clams or ‘Kandal Kakka’ in northern Kerala, belong to the genus Polymesoda or Geloina. They live in muddy, brackish, and near-freshwater areas of mangrove swamps across the Indo-Pacific region. As a filter feeder, it recycles nutrients, stabilises sediments, supports mangrove health, and provides coastal livelihoods.

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Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered a new species of Diplura named Lepidocampa sikkimensis in the eastern Himalayas. The species was found in Ravangla, Sikkim. Diplura are small, wingless, soil-dwelling arthropods. This is the first time an Indian research team described a species in this primitive hexapod group. The study provides the first DNA barcode data globally for an Indian Lepidocampa species.

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Recently, smooth-coated otters were officially recorded for the first time in Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary by the Uttarakhand Forest Department. Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Uttarakhand. It lies in the Terai Arc Landscape and forms part of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve. It connects the landscapes of Jim Corbett National Park and Rajaji National Park in the west with Pilibhit-Dudwa and the Terai region of Nepal in the east.

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A lone Ferruginous Pochard was recently sighted at Amoor Lake in Chennai along with a flock of Common Pochards. The Ferruginous Pochard, also called the ferruginous duck or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck native to the Eurosiberian region. It prefers shallow freshwater wetlands with rich submerged and floating vegetation and dense emergent plants along the margins. The species is distributed across Europe, Asia and parts of Africa, and winters mainly around the Mediterranean Basin and Black Sea. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is classified as Near Threatened.

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The Smew was recently sighted for the first time in Kaziranga during the 7th Waterbird Count at Rowmari-Donduwa beels (Laokhowa) buffer of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Smew is a small diving duck. They breeds in the northern taiga of Europe and the Palearctic region. They requires trees for breeding and prefers fish-rich lakes and slow rivers. The conservation status of Smew according to the IUCN Red List is Least Concern.