Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new species of squat lobster named Leiogalathea samudragiri near Minicoy in the Lakshadweep archipelago. It was found at a depth of 360 metres below the sea surface. The discovery happened during a research cruise under India’s Deep Ocean Mission, also called the Samudrayaan program. It has smooth and continuous ridges on the top of its shell, unlike related species with broken ridges. Squat lobsters are marine crustaceans, related to hermit and porcelain crabs.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new Cobra Lily species named Arisaema siahaense in Siaha District of Mizoram, Northeast India. It is an evergreen herb growing up to 1.08 metre (about 3.5 feet) tall. Cobra Lilies are known for spathe shaped like a cobra hood. This species has an exceptionally long spadix appendix up to 21 centimetre with brownish-green hair-like bristles. It grows from a rounded tuber, not creeping rootstock, and has exactly three leaf segments.

Notes:
Recently, the Forest Owlet was spotted in Kuno National Park after 113 years. It belongs to the owl family Strigidae. It is endemic to central India and found in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, including Melghat Tiger Reserve. It lives in tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, dense and open dry deciduous teak forests. It has an unspotted crown, full throat collar, thickly feathered legs, and heavily banded wings and tail. It is diurnal and hunts during the day.

Notes:
A new groundwater fish species, Gitchak nakana, has been discovered in Assam. It belongs to a newly described genus under the family Cobitidae (loaches). The name comes from the Garo language: “Gitchak” means red, referring to its blood-red colour, and “na-tok” and “kana” mean blind fish. It shows subterranean adaptations like absence of visible eyes, translucent pigmentless body, and extreme miniaturisation. It completely lacks a skull roof, with the brain covered only by skin. It lives in groundwater aquifers, which are difficult to access.

Notes:
Assam flagged off its first trial export of 1.2 metric tonnes of Geographical Indication tagged Karbi Anglong Ginger to London, marking a major agricultural milestone. Karbi Anglong district produces this premium ginger variety known for strong aroma, high pungency and medicinal value. It is grown mainly in Singhasan Hills using traditional Jhum shifting cultivation and Tila farming methods. It has Geographical Indication tag, confirming its unique origin and quality. It has high essential oil content, strong earthy flavour and digestive and anti inflammatory benefits. It is widely demanded in culinary, pharmaceutical and processing industries.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered a new species of Asian grass lizard named Takydromus ultapanensis. The species was found in the Ultapani Reserve Forest located in Kokrajhar district, within Assam’s Manas Biosphere landscape. Unlike many related lizard species found in montane or subtropical habitats, T. ultapanensis inhabits lowland, semi-evergreen forests mixed with waterlogged grasslands and fern patches. Researchers observed the lizards basking on fern bushes in small open patches crisscrossed by seasonal water channels. The discovery emphasizes the biodiversity significance of Assam’s Manas Biosphere landscape and the need for protection of its unique habitats.

Notes:
Researchers from Northeast India have described two new freshwater fish species from Nagaland. The species are named Glyptothorax sentimereni and Oreichthys elianae. They were discovered during ichthyological surveys in tributaries of the Brahmaputra River in Mokokchung district, Nagaland. Glyptothorax sentimereni was found in rocky stretches of the Dikhu River and belongs to torrent-dwelling catfishes. Oreichthys elianae was found in a tributary of the Tsurang River.

Notes:
A pair of rare dusky eagle owls was sighted in the Phato tourism zone of Terai West forest division, near Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, after 15 years. The dusky eagle owl belongs to the family Strigidae. It is large, greyish-brown with prominent ear tufts, greyish-white underparts with dark streaks, and dark brown wings with whitish streaks. It is found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and China. It inhabits thick riverside forests and old-growth trees.

Notes:
A rare sighting of the Blue-and-White Flycatcher was recently reported at Pavagadh Hills, Gujarat. It is a small migratory songbird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It mainly breeds in Japan, Korea, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. During winter it migrates to Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra, and Borneo. It prefers wooded lowlands, submontane forests, taiga, slopes and gullies up to about 1200 metres, and also occurs in scrub, bushes and plantations. Conservation status in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is Least Concern.