Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Supreme Court (SC) recently directed the state of Goa to maintain status quo over the Mhadei-Kotigaon area. SC called for a report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), an expert body assisting the court on environment issues, on notifying Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as a tiger reserve. The direction followed a petition by Goa Foundation opposing state clearances for commercial projects in the area. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in North Goa along the Western Ghats, bordering Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Mhadei (Mondovi) River flows through the sanctuary.

Notes:
Recently, a Forest Department patrol at Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), Maharashtra, discovered a poached pangolin. Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. It is named after Goddess Tipai shrine in Tipeshwar village. The sanctuary lies in Patanbori and Parwa ranges of the Pandarkawad Forest Division. Four rivers—Purna, Krishna, Bhima, and Tapti—flow through it, making it the “Green Oasis of Eastern Maharashtra.” The land has basaltic volcanic soil and supports village livelihoods.

Notes:
Eustoma, an exotic flower previously imported to Odisha, has bloomed locally for the first time. The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), cultivated it successfully in Odisha. The flower was grown in a polyhouse at Sanatanpali in Sambalpur, following successful cultivation at NBRI’s Lucknow campus. Eustoma is native to Mexico and America and can be grown twice a year in Odisha. Farmers can earn up to ₹2 lakh per acre per season from Eustoma cultivation. NBRI is a multi-disciplinary plant research institute conducting basic and applied research in strategic plant science areas.

Notes:
Union Environment Ministry approved the capture of eight tigers from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench reserves for translocation to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in western Maharashtra. Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is the first tiger reserve of western Maharashtra and the fourth in the state. It covers two protected areas: Koyana Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) and Chandoli National Park (CNP). The Shivsagar reservoir of Koyana River and Vasant Sagar reservoir of Warana River lie in its central part.

Notes:
The Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), a rare shorebird, was recently spotted at Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tirupur city, Tamil Nadu, for the first time. It is unusual for this bird to make a stopover in an inland water body. This marks the 192nd bird species recorded in the sanctuary. The species is found in boreal and tundra ecosystems across the world. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.

Notes:
A Dragonfly survey at Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Delhi recently recorded Yellow-tailed Ashy Skimmer (Potamarcha congener) for the first time. It is a species of dragonfly and belongs to the family Libellulidae. It is also called common chaser or swampwatcher. It is found in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, including India, Indonesia, China, Australia, and Vietnam. It is classified as Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Notes:
District Magistrate Baramulla recently ordered the immediate closure of 14 gypsum mining units operating within 1 km of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary. Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, near the village of Lachipora on the northern banks of the Jhelum River. It primarily protects the endangered Markhor, a wild goat with twisted horns. It is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and hosts the vulnerable Western Tragopan.

Notes:
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), headquartered in Chennai, sanctioned ₹82 lakh to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board for Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) conservation. The initiative aims to raise 1 lakh Red Sanders saplings to supply farmers, supporting the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme. Red Sanders, native to Southern Eastern Ghats (Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool), faces threats from smuggling due to high commercial value. The species is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Notes:
A new plant species, Chlorophytum vanapushpam, was recently discovered in the Vagamon hills of Idukki district, Kerala. It belongs to the genus Chlorophytum and the family Asparagaceae. The species name ‘vanapushpam’ comes from Malayalam words ‘Vanam’ (forest) and ‘Pushpam’ (flower). It is a perennial herb closely related to Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum). It is found in rocky hills of Vagamon and Neymakkad at altitudes between 700 m and 2124 m in the Western Ghats. The plant has white clustered flowers, slender leaves, grows up to 90 cm, and lacks tubers. Flowering and fruiting occur from September to December. The Western Ghats is a major origin centre of Chlorophytum, with 18 species identified, many having medicinal properties.

Notes:
A new wasp species named Nesolynx banabitanae was recently discovered in Salt Lake, West Bengal. It was found in Central Park, locally known as Banabitan, after which it was named. This discovery marks only the seventh wasp species identified in India. It belongs to the Eulophidae family, known for parasitic behaviours. Nesolynx banabitanae is a hyperparasitoid, meaning it parasitises other parasitoid wasps.