Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A recent study exposes extensive microplastic pollution in Ashtamudi Lake, emphasizing ongoing monitoring and addressing potential public health risks. Located in Kerala’s Kollam district, the lake boasts scenic beauty and eight connecting channels, earning its name Ashtamudi. Second-largest in Kerala, it drains into the sea via Neendakara estuary, fed primarily by the Kallada River. Historically significant, it served as a crucial port in the 14th century, and hosts diverse marshy mangroves, including endangered species.

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The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warns that a low depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into severe cyclonic storm Remal, with wind speeds of 100-120 km/h. Cyclone Remal, named by Oman, is the season’s first in the region and will bring heavy rain and thundershowers to West Bengal and Bangladesh.

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The Supreme Court has halted a 90-acre project in the ecologically fragile and seismic-prone lower Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand’s Kumaon hills. This region lies between the Sutlej and Kali Rivers and includes the Siwalik Range and Great Himalayas. It features peaks like Nanda Devi and Kamet, lakes such as Naini and Bhimtal, and hill stations like Nainital. It is home to indigenous tribes including Tharus and Bhutiyas.

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Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) seized an iguana and an emperor scorpion in Dewas district, enforcing Rule 49 M of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) for the first time. Section 49 M mandates registration of possession, transfer, and reporting of birth/death of scheduled animals. Both species are in Appendix II of WPA 1972 and CITES, needing specific permits. Animals are housed at Kamala Nehru Zoological Museum. New rules require online registration of CITES-listed animals by August 31, 2024.

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A 32-year-old woman was killed by a tiger in the buffer zone of Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). TATR, the largest and oldest tiger reserve in Maharashtra, covers 625.4 sq. km and includes Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary. It features Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous vegetation and notable wildlife like tigers, leopards, and sloth bears. The reserve has corridor linkages with other tiger reserves and houses diverse flora and fauna.

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A team from the Karnataka State Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage has discovered rock shelter paintings estimated to be 2,500 years old near Pampa Lake in the Hampi World Heritage Area. Pampa Lake, located in Karnataka’s Koppal district near Hampi, is one of the five sacred lakes in Hindu mythology. Surrounded by hills and temples, it holds cultural and religious significance, featuring prominently in Hindu epics like the Ramayana.

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Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra recently documented the first photograph of a spot-bellied eagle-owl, Ketupa nipalensis. This large bird of prey inhabits diverse environments like forests and savannas across India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Recognizable by its rich brown coloration and striking white-spotted pattern, it’s a nocturnal apex predator feeding on various prey. Classified as Least Concern by IUCN, it comes protection under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has initiated a three-day elephant census at Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. Located at the Eastern and Western Ghats junction in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, this reserve is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is contiguous with Mudumalai, Bandipur, and Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserves, collectively hosting over 280 tigers, the world’s largest tiger population. Declared a tiger reserve in 2013, it connects the Eastern and Western Ghats, supporting diverse wildlife.

Notes:
During a recent deep-sea expedition to the Abyssal Plains in the Pacific Ocean, transparent sea cucumbers, pink sea pigs, and bowl-shaped sponges were discovered. Abyssal plains are flat ocean floor regions, usually at the base of continental rises, found mostly in the Atlantic Ocean. They cover 40% of Earth’s ocean floor, occur at depths over 6,500 feet, and are composed of basalt covered by various sediments. The Sohm plain is the largest.

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Cyclone Ilsa, a category 5 cyclone, recently devastated Bedout Island, Australia, wiping out 80-90% of its seabird population, including Masked Boobies, Brown Boobies, and Lesser Frigatebirds. Seabirds, which live and feed in ocean environments, are vital for island and reef health. They connect marine and terrestrial ecosystems by transporting marine nutrients to land through guano and other means.