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:
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.

Notes:
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recently discovered a new species of slender gecko named Hemiphyllodactylus venkatadri. It was found in the Tirumala hill ranges within the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Andhra Pradesh. The species is named after the sacred Venkatadri Hills. It belongs to the genus Hemiphyllodactylus and is the second slender gecko species recorded from Andhra Pradesh, after Hemiphyllodactylus arakuensis. The Venkatadri slender gecko is small, growing just over 2 inches long. It has short limbs and distinctive “spurs” at the base of its tail.

Notes:
Civil society groups and conservationists in Assam have urged declaring the Roumari-Donduwa Wetland Complex within Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary as a Ramsar Site due to its rich avian biodiversity. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Nagaon District, Assam. The sanctuary forms part of the Laokhowa–Burachapori ecosystem and serves as a buffer zone of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. It is situated within the Brahmaputra Valley and is surrounded by human settlements except to the north.

Notes:
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).

Notes:
Typhoon Kalmaegi recently made landfall in the central Philippines. Typhoons are tropical cyclones that form over the Western Pacific Ocean. A tropical cyclone is a rotating storm system developing over warm tropical oceans, varying in speed, size, and intensity. These storms are known by different names globally — Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, Cyclones in the Indian Ocean, and Willy-willies in Western Australia.

Notes:
A flock of rare White Ibis, also known as Black-headed Ibis, was recently sighted in the salt pan regions of Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. The Black-headed Ibis, also called the Oriental White Ibis or Indian White Ibis, belongs to the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is a wader bird adapted to various aquatic environments. It is found across South and Southeast Asia, from India to Japan. It is listed as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Notes:
Scientists recently spotted the rare ginkgo-toothed beaked whales (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) for the first time in the wild near Baja California, Mexico. This species is one of 24 beaked whale species, the second most diverse cetacean group after dolphins. It lives in tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It has a robust body, small pointed flippers and two unique ginkgo-shaped teeth on the lower jaw. These whales are the deepest-diving mammals, surfacing only briefly and staying far from coastlines.

Notes:
A wild tiger has returned to Gujarat after decades, establishing a permanent presence in Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary. Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Gujarat on the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border and was declared a sanctuary in March 1982. It is also called Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary because it has the highest sloth bear population in Gujarat. The sanctuary forms the catchment of the Panam River in Central Gujarat.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered a new owlfly species in Kerala after 134 years, named Protidricerus albocapitatus, marking a major entomological finding. It was found in the Nedumkayam forest in the Malappuram district of Kerala. The species belongs to the family Myrmeleontidae and the order Neuroptera. With this discovery, Kerala now has five known owlfly species, and India’s total has increased to 37 species. The owlfly has a white tufted head and clubbed antennae, making it easily identifiable.