Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Supreme Court (SC) recently directed the state of Goa to maintain status quo over the Mhadei-Kotigaon area. SC called for a report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), an expert body assisting the court on environment issues, on notifying Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as a tiger reserve. The direction followed a petition by Goa Foundation opposing state clearances for commercial projects in the area. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North Goa along the Western Ghats, bordering Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Mhadei (Mondovi) River flows through the sanctuary.

Notes:
Udaipur was conferred the prestigious Wetland City Accreditation by the Ramsar Convention on September 9, 2025. The recognition was announced during the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards and Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025, organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The Ramsar Wetland City tag honours cities with exemplary efforts in conserving wetlands, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods. Udaipur, the ‘City of Lakes’, qualified due to community participation, strong conservation practices, and integration of wetlands in urban planning.

Notes:
A rare scarlet dragonfly was recently spotted in the valleys of Munnar in Kerala’s Western Ghats. Its scientific name is Crocothemis erythraea. It is also known by common names such as broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter. This dragonfly belongs to the family Libellulidae. It is widely distributed in southern Europe, Africa, western Asia, and extends up to southern China. It prefers habitats near rivers, streams, and ponds in sunny locations. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is classified as Least Concern.

Notes:
A new deep-sea coral species has been identified as Iridogorgia chewbacca. The species is named after Chewbacca, the tall, furry Wookiee character from Star Wars. It was discovered in the tropical western Pacific Ocean and first seen in 2006. The coral has long, curly, shiny branches resembling Chewbacca’s fur and grows upright alone on the ocean floor. The discovery was made by researchers including Les Watling, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The finding highlights deep ocean biodiversity and was published in Zootaxa.

Notes:
A new edible mushroom species named Lactifluus khasianus has been discovered in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. It was already known to Khasi tribes as “Tit iongnah” and used as a seasonal delicacy during the monsoon. The mushroom grows with Khasi pine (Pinus kesiya) at 1,600 metres altitude. It differs from related species by its chocolate-brown cap, larger cystidia, and DNA markers. It is the fifth confirmed Lactifluus sect. Gerardii species in India, but the first edible one. Meghalaya contributes significantly to India’s 34+ Lactifluus species diversity.

Notes:
District Magistrate Baramulla recently ordered the immediate closure of 14 gypsum mining units operating within 1 km of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary. Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, near the village of Lachipora on the northern banks of the Jhelum River. It primarily protects the endangered Markhor, a wild goat with twisted horns. It is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and hosts the vulnerable Western Tragopan.

Notes:
Recently, a 12-year-old male tiger was brutally hunted, dismembered, and buried in Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, four months after a previous poisoning incident. The sanctuary is located at the intersection of the Western and Eastern Ghats in Chamarajanagara District, Karnataka. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2013. It is contiguous with Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. It is home to the famous Male Mahadeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva (Mahadeshwara). The sanctuary is bounded by the Kaveri River to the northeast and Palar River to the south.

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.

Notes:
The Delhi government has declared nearly 41 square kilometres of the Southern Ridge area as a reserved forest. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated the move aims to protect the national capital from pollution and promote sustainable environmental practices. The government will plant indigenous trees on open land within the forest to maintain soil fertility and strengthen the environment. The priority is to make Delhi a modern, pollution-free, green, and environmentally balanced capital. The declaration supports long-term ecological conservation and urban environmental health.

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda. Saranda Forest is the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, located in Jharkhand. Sal is a moist deciduous tree. Saranda means “the land of seven hundred hills”. Nearly 80% of the local population belongs to Ho, Munda, Oraon, and other primitive tribes. The notification aims to protect biodiversity and support tribal livelihoods.