Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A butterfly and moth survey will soon be held at Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Mulugu. It is located in Telangana. Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1952. The Godavari River flows through the sanctuary. A stream named Dayyam Vagu divides the sanctuary into two parts. The terrain includes steep and gentle slopes, giving it rich biodiversity.

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Recently, researchers discovered four new lichen species in the Western Ghats, adding to India’s biodiversity records. The new species are Parmotrema sahyadricum from Wayanad, Solenopsora rhizomorpha from Eravikulam and Mathikettanshola National Parks, Buelloa ghattensis from Mathikettanshola National Park, and Pyxine janakiae from the same park. These discoveries were published in international scientific journals.

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Recently, Chilean scientists warned about further risks to the world’s shrinking Humboldt penguin population. Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) belongs to the ‘banded’ genus. They are named after the Humboldt Current, a cold oceanic upwelling near their habitat. Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. Chile’s Pacific coast hosts 80 percent of the remaining population. It is listed as Vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Four women and three children were recently rescued after being trapped for nearly two hours in the Painganga River near Sahastrakund waterfall. The Painganga River, also called Penganga River, is the main river of Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. It is a major tributary of the Wardha River. The river originates in the Ajanta ranges, Aurangabad district and flows through Buldhana, Washim, and along the Washim-Hingoli border. It forms the boundary between Yavatmal and Nanded districts and flows along the Maharashtra-Telangana border.

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Scientists recently spotted the rare ginkgo-toothed beaked whales (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) for the first time in the wild near Baja California, Mexico. This species is one of 24 beaked whale species, the second most diverse cetacean group after dolphins. It lives in tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It has a robust body, small pointed flippers and two unique ginkgo-shaped teeth on the lower jaw. These whales are the deepest-diving mammals, surfacing only briefly and staying far from coastlines.

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Hayli Gubbi volcano has erupted after 10,000 years, sending a massive ash cloud towards northern India. It is located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, northeast of Addis Ababa and close to the Eritrean border. It is a shield volcano situated in the Danakil Depression, one of the hottest and most remote places on Earth. Hayli Gubbi is the southernmost volcano in the Erta Ale range. The Erta Ale range is famous for persistent lava lakes and mainly consists of shield volcanoes. Hayli Gubbi has no previously recorded eruptions in modern history, making this event significant.

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Arunachal Pradesh recently recorded a major scientific achievement with the discovery of a new plant species named Hoya dawodiensis. It was found in the Vijaynagar region of Changlang district, which is reachable only by air or long trekking routes. Hoya plants are tropical flowering species known for their ecological importance and unique shape. They are also called wax plants or porcelain flowers due to their shiny, wax-like flowers. Hoyas are native to Asia, Australia, and Pacific Islands but also grow well as indoor plants. They need bright indirect light, well-draining soil, and prefer humid conditions.

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Bioremediation means “restoring life through biology” using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants to clean polluted land and water. These organisms break oil, pesticides, plastics, and heavy metals into safer products like water and carbon dioxide. In situ bioremediation treats pollution at the site, while Ex situ bioremediation treats removed soil or water in a facility. India needs it due to severe river, soil, and industrial pollution and the high cost of traditional cleanup methods. It is cheap, eco-friendly, job-creating, but needs strict safety rules for genetically modified (GM) microbes.

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A major four-month wildlife survey has recently begun across the Buxa Tiger Reserve to assess biodiversity and strengthen conservation efforts. The Buxa Tiger Reserve is located in West Bengal, and its northern boundary touches the international border with Bhutan. It acts as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan, supporting long-distance wildlife movement.

Notes:
A new shieldtail snake species, Rhinophis siruvaniensis, was discovered with help from citizen scientists in the Siruvani Hills, spanning Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats. The snake is shiny brownish-black with creamy white patches and has a dome-shaped tail tip. Shieldtail snakes are small, non-venomous, soil-burrowing snakes of the Uropeltidae family, also called uropeltids. They are named “shieldtails” because of their disc-shaped tail tip. These snakes are endemic to India and Sri Lanka, mainly found in the Western Ghats and parts of Peninsular India.