Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Scientists from the ICAR-Directorate of Floricultural Research have discovered a new species of blossom midge named Contarinia icardiflores. Contarinia icardiflores is a newly identified species belonging to the genus Contarinia, whose members are small insects recognized as serious pests of ornamental and food crops worldwide. The larvae of this species feed inside flower buds or blossoms, often leading to severe yield losses in agricultural and horticultural crops. The species has been named in honour of ICAR-DFR to acknowledge the institute’s significant contributions to floriculture research.

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Over the past 200 years, the Kosi River has shifted its course westward by over 100 km. Kosi is a transboundary river flowing through China, Nepal, and India, and is a major tributary of the Ganges. It is called the “Sorrow of Bihar” due to frequent and severe flooding in Bihar. Formed by the confluence of Sun Kosi, Arun Kosi, and Tamur Kosi, originating in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. About 48 km north of the India-Nepal border, it gathers tributaries and flows south through the Siwalik Hills at Chatra Gorge.

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The Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department recently recorded sambar deer in high-altitude protected areas of Chamba district using camera traps for the first time. Sambar deer is a large deer species native to the Indian subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia. It is naturally found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra and Java. The species lives mainly in forested hills, thick forests, swamp forests and open scrublands, often near cultivated areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, its conservation status is Vulnerable.

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Stenothoe lowryi is a rare shrimp-like marine crustacean recently recorded in India for the first time. It was discovered at Arjyapalli Beach by researchers from Berhampur University, Odisha. Earlier, the species was known only from Malaysia waters. It belongs to family Stenothoidae under the order Amphipoda. Amphipods are small invertebrate crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They live in oceans, lakes, rivers, beaches, caves, and moist tropical habitats. The name Amphipoda means “different-footed” because they have different types of legs.

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The Western Tragopan has drawn attention due to declining populations in the western Himalayas. It is a rare pheasant species endemic to the Western Himalayas. It is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh and locally called Jujurana meaning “King of Birds.” The bird lives in temperate and subalpine forests with dense undergrowth. It usually occurs at elevations of about 2,400–3,600 metres. Its range includes Uttarakhand, Kashmir, and parts of Pakistan.

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Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new wild kiwi species, Actinidia indica, in Arunachal Pradesh. The species is found only in a limited area near Ziro Valley, growing in a transition zone between temperate and subtropical forests. It is a perennial climbing shrub with hairy young branches, large ovate leaves, and white to creamy flowers. The plant produces olive-green globose fruits with a unique reticulate lenticel pattern, which helps in its identification. This discovery adds to the global diversity of Actinidia species, of which only a few are found in India.

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Around 20,000 eggs of Olive Ridley Turtles have been conserved on Hope Island by authorities at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. It is located in Andhra Pradesh, in the Godavari estuary where the Coringa River meets the Bay of Bengal. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1978. It has extensive mangrove and tropical dry deciduous forests, forming the second-largest mangrove stretch in India.

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Rice’s Whale is a baleen whale belonging to the family Balaenopteridae and is closely related to Bryde’s whales. It was recognised as a distinct species in 2021, separate from other Bryde’s whales globally. It is the only whale species found year-round in the Gulf of Mexico. Its diet mainly consists of silver-rag driftfish. Major threats include oil drilling, vessel strikes, noise pollution, oil spills, and climate change. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, it is classified as Critically Endangered.

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Gangotri National Park recently reopened after a six-month winter break, highlighting seasonal conservation management in the Himalayan region. It is located in Uttarakhand, along the upper catchment of the Bhagirathi River. The park’s northeastern boundary touches China (Tibet Autonomous Region). It shares borders with Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Govind National Park.

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Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary has emerged as a notable success story of ecological revival in the fragile Shivalik Hills. It is located in Chandigarh, near Sukhna Lake, at the foothills of the Shivalik range. The lake was created by Le Corbusier by diverting the seasonal Sukhna Choe stream. The sanctuary was established in 1998 and developed through afforestation efforts aimed at soil conservation around the lake. The region is geographically fragile, with sandy Shivalik soil and clay pockets, making it highly prone to soil erosion during rains.