Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, researchers discovered a new palm species named Phoenix roxburghii. It is named after William Roxburgh, known as the father of Indian Botany. The species grows between 12 to 16 metres tall. It is similar to Phoenix sylvestris, but has a taller solitary trunk, larger leaves and leaflets, musty-scented staminate flowers and bigger obovoid orange-yellow fruits. Its distribution is recorded along India’s eastern coast, in Bangladesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Pakistan. The discovery highlights the rich plant diversity of the region.

Notes:
Heavy rains in Mumbai caused Vihar Lake to overflow recently. Vihar Lake is a man-made reservoir built by the British government between 1856 and 1860. It is located near Vihar village on the Mithi River inside Borivali National Park, also called Sanjay Gandhi National Park, in North Mumbai. The lake gets its water from the Powai-Kanheri hill ranges in its catchment area. It is the largest lake in Mumbai among the Salsette group of islands.

Notes:
Typhoon Kajiki killed at least three people and injured 10 others in Vietnam on 26 August 2025. The storm damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated 28,800 hectares of rice fields, and felled 18,000 trees. It brought down 331 electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen, and Phu Tho provinces. Typhoon Kajiki is considered as powerful as Typhoon Yagi in 2024, which killed around 300 people and caused $3.3 billion in damages.

Notes:
Kerala conducted India’s first science-based, community-driven eradication of Senna spectabilis in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Senna spectabilis is an invasive species native to American tropics. The tree grows 7–18 metres tall with a dense, spreading crown. It forms dense, sterile thickets, choking native plants, altering soil chemistry, and reducing food for herbivores. It closely resembles Kerala’s state flower Cassia fistula (kanikkonna), which aided its initial planting. The eradication involved community participation and science-based methods to restore forest ecosystems and promote biodiversity recovery.

Notes:
The National Zoological Park has increased surveillance and biosecurity measures. This action follows the discovery of a painted stork carcass near a pond. Another painted stork was found sick in the water bird aviary. The painted stork is a large wading bird belonging to the stork family. It is easily recognized by its heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip. These birds are found across the plains of tropical Asia. Their range extends from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia, south of the Himalayas. They prefer freshwater wetlands as their main habitat. They are also found in irrigation canals and flooded rice fields during the monsoon.

Notes:
An Assam-based foundation has developed India’s first portal for vulture conservation, called The Vulture Network. The portal was launched on September 2, 2025, by We Foundation India in collaboration with Gauhati University’s Department of Zoology. The portal aims to disseminate information in local languages, starting with Assamese, to educate grassroots communities about vultures’ ecological and economic importance. It is a cloud-based knowledge platform offering scientific information, awareness materials, and downloadable resources for campaigns

Notes:
The Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica), one of the world’s worst invasive species, has infested Chennai city and its outskirts. Experts warn the snail spreads rapidly during floods, posing risks to city residents. It is not only an agricultural pest but also a carrier of dangerous parasites. The snail transmits parasitic nematodes Angiostrongylus cantonensis and A. costaricensis. These cause eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (brain infection) and abdominal angiostrongyliasis in humans. Infections spread through ingestion of contaminated snails or their residues. Researchers highlighted that Chennai faces a major public health threat due to this invasive species.

Notes:
Continuous heavy rains in Kalaburagi, Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra have caused a sharp rise in Bhima River water levels, triggering flooding in several villages. Bhima River, also called Chandrabagha River, is the largest tributary of Krishna River. It originates near Bhimashankar Temple in Bhimashankar hills, Western Ghats, Pune District, Maharashtra. It flows southeast through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana and merges into Krishna River at Raichur, Karnataka.

Notes:
A new coffee plant species named Ophiorrhiza echinata was recently discovered in the Western Ghats. It was found in the shola forests at Devikulam, Idukki District, Kerala. The plant grows in the ecotone region between evergreen forests and grasslands at 1,630 metres above sea level. It belongs to the Rubiaceae family and is closely related to Ophiorrhiza mungos, used in cancer treatment and antidote preparations. It may have medicinal potential. The species is very rare, with less than 4 sq. km area of occupancy and only about 35 plants recorded

Notes:
Recently, Pulicat Lake fishermen demanded a long-term solution as siltation threatens their livelihoods. Pulicat Lake is a large coastal shallow, brackish water lagoon along the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s second largest brackish water lagoon after Chilika, spanning Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by Sriharikota Island. It is fed by Aarani River in the south and Kalangi River from the northwest; Buckingham Canal passes through it. Pulicat Lake was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 for wetland conservation.