Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Researchers recently discovered a new plant species named Tetrataenium manilalianum, adding to the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. It belongs to the carrot family (Umbelliferae/Apiaceae). The species was found in Eravikulam National Park, located in Idukki district of Kerala. It was named in honour of Prof. K.S. Manilal, founder president of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy. The plant grows in grasslands bordering shola forests at high altitudes. It is the first of its kind identified globally and the 48th species in the carrot family. It bears white flowers, has underground rhizomes, and blooms during the monsoon.

Notes:
A rare Malabar Gliding Frog was recently spotted at Hirebagewadi near Belagavi, Karnataka. Its scientific name is Rhacophorus malabaricus. It is endemic to the rainforests of the Western Ghats in India. The frog lives on tree leaves near streams or riverbanks and breeds on overhanging trees above water bodies. It can glide through the air using the webbing between its toes, leaping up to 9–12 metres, nearly 115 times its body length. It grows up to 10 cm, with males smaller than females. It has a bright green back, pale yellow belly, and orange-red webbed toes. It is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
The spotted deer population is declining rapidly in the Konark-Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha. The sanctuary is located in Puri district, Odisha and was declared on 23 April 1984. It covers a sandy coastal tract between Puri and Konark, planted with casuarina and cashew trees. Spotted deer is the most common deer species in Indian forests. It is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted Motion 007 on Soil Security Law, the world’s first model legal framework for soil protection. The motion was co-sponsored by Save Soil (Isha Outreach) and the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies, with support from Aurora, an Australian soil think tank. It marks the first global recognition of soil security as vital for food, water, biodiversity, and climate resilience. IUCN will now form a working group to draft an international convention on soil protection. Sadhguru called it a historic step toward global soil conservation.

Notes:
A forest department team recently arrested four people for illegally cutting khair trees in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh. Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. It stretches along the northern banks of the River Ganga and covers parts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor districts. It lies near the ancient town of Hastinapur, known for its cultural and mythological significance.

Notes:
The Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, has come alive with thousands of migratory birds marking the start of the season. It is one of the oldest bird-protected areas in India and Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary is a freshwater wetland protected by local communities. It is recognized internationally as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) on the Coromandel Coast.

Notes:
The Supreme Court recently ordered the Jharkhand government to notify the Saranda Forest as a wildlife sanctuary and conservation reserve. The Court also banned all mining activities within a one-kilometre radius of the forest boundary. Saranda, called the “land of seven hundred hills,” is a dense Sal forest in Jharkhand. It lies in the Chhotanagpur bio-geographic zone and connects with forests of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The first India-born cheetah named Mukhi has recently given birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, showing successful cheetah conservation efforts. Kuno National Park is located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh near the Vindhyan Hills. It was originally established as Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in 1981 and upgraded to National Park in 2018. The park covers 750 square kilometres and is named after the Kuno River, a tributary of the Chambal River.

Notes:
A new shieldtail snake species, Rhinophis siruvaniensis, was discovered with help from citizen scientists in the Siruvani Hills, spanning Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats. The snake is shiny brownish-black with creamy white patches and has a dome-shaped tail tip. Shieldtail snakes are small, non-venomous, soil-burrowing snakes of the Uropeltidae family, also called uropeltids. They are named “shieldtails” because of their disc-shaped tail tip. These snakes are endemic to India and Sri Lanka, mainly found in the Western Ghats and parts of Peninsular India.