Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Cyphostemma annamalaii is a newly discovered plant species belonging to the Vitaceae family, commonly known as the grape family. The species was discovered by students and researchers from Annamalai University in the southern Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. It is found in tropical dry forests and open scrub vegetation areas of the southern Eastern Ghats. Cyphostemma annamalaii is a climbing plant with tuberous roots, yellow round fruits, and white or yellow flowers. The genus Cyphostemma is the second-largest genus in the grape family and includes nearly 250 species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions.

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Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary recently came into focus after the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court sought responses over alleged resort construction and commercial activities inside its eco-sensitive zone. The sanctuary is located in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra and is named after the nearby Goddess Tipai shrine in Tipeshwar village. Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary mainly spreads across the Patanbori and Parwa ranges of the Pandarkawad Forest Division.

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India’s first Human-Elephant Conflict Research Centre will be established at Palamu Tiger Reserve. The tiger reserve is located on the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and forms part of Betla National Park. Palamu was among the first nine tiger reserves created under Project Tiger. It was also the first reserve in the world where a tiger census was conducted through the pugmark counting method in 1932. The reserve has an undulating terrain consisting of valleys, hills, plains, granite, limestone, and gneiss formations.

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Psechrus ntu and Psechrus phenshunyu are two newly discovered spider species identified by the Zoological Survey of India. Both species belong to the genus Psechrus of the Psechridae family, known for building large horizontal sheet webs in moist forests. The spiders were discovered in Nagaland and named after the villages Ntu and Phenshunyu. They possess elongated flattened bodies, long anterior legs, and fine sensory hairs that help detect vibrations in dense forest habitats. The spiders build expansive sheet-like webs that act as prey-capture and environmental sensing platforms. Researchers also observed a rare heterospecific association where different spider species shared the same web.

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Euphrates River is the longest river in Western Asia and one of the world’s oldest historically significant rivers. The river originates in the Armenian Highlands of Turkey and flows through Syria and Iraq before joining the Tigris River and draining into the Persian Gulf. Together with the Tigris, it forms the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Ancient Mesopotamia and major civilizations such as Babylon developed along the Euphrates in the Fertile Crescent region. The river mainly depends on winter rainfall and mountain snowfall for its water supply. The Euphrates is now facing severe decline due to environmental and water-related pressures.

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Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary has come into focus due to concerns that the proposed Pranahita-Chevella barrage on the Pranahita River may affect the sanctuary area. Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The sanctuary lies near the confluence of the Wardha River and Wainganga River. The Pranahita River flows along its western boundary. Seasonal flooding and water bodies such as Murgikunta, Raikonta, and Komatkunta tanks support the sanctuary’s biodiversity. The sanctuary is also inhabited by the indigenous Gond tribal community.

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Scientists discovered a new species of tardigrade named Actinarctus odissi off the northeast coast of Odisha. The microscopic marine organism was found in the shallow waters of the Bay of Bengal near Markandi coast. Tardigrades are popularly known as “water bears.” The species name “odissi” honours Odissi. This is the first new discovery from the genus Actinarctus in 43 years. The species has a dome-shaped body with transparent wing-like structures called alae.

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A rare Himalayan Brown Bear was recently captured on camera in Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located in Himachal Pradesh in the catchment area of the Siul Nala, a tributary of the Ravi River. It shares its northern boundary with Jammu and Kashmir. The sanctuary is notable for being the only sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh where the Kashmir Stag has been reported.

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Recently, Kaziranga National Park recorded its first sighting of the Yellow-throated Marten, highlighting Assam’s conservation success. The Yellow-throated Marten, also known as Kharza, is a marten species found across Southern and Eastern Asia. Its distribution extends from the Himalayas to Indonesia and from the Korean Peninsula to the China–Russia border. It is classified as Least Concern in IUCN Red List Status.

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The Eastern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought responses regarding alleged unauthorized tree felling in Deepar Beel Wildlife Sanctuary and its Eco-Sensitive Zone. The issue is linked to the New Bongaigaon–Goalpara Town–Kamakhya railway track doubling project. Deepar Beel is a Ramsar Wetland and a notified wildlife sanctuary located near Guwahati in Assam. It serves as a critical elephant corridor and an important biodiversity hotspot. The wetland acts as a natural flood buffer for Guwahati during the monsoon and supports local livelihoods and hydrological stability.