Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, researchers discovered a new plant species, Canscora agni, in the fire-prone savannas of western India. It was discovered on Sus Hill in Pune district, Maharashtra. The species is named “agni” (meaning fire) because it thrives in ecosystems maintained by natural fires. It is a small dwarf herb with white petals and distinctive winged stems, clearly different from its closest relative, Canscora alata. Researchers have recommended classifying Canscora agni as Critically Endangered.

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Cyananthus hookeri, a rare Himalayan flowering plant, has been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh after 158 years, marking its first confirmed sighting in India since 1867. The species was discovered by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) near Chuna Valley, Mago village, in Tawang district at an altitude of about 3,600 metres. It belongs to the Campanulaceae (bellflower) family and bears purple-blue flowers. The plant was last recorded in India by Joseph Dalton Hooker in Sikkim in 1867. The species is also found in Bhutan, Nepal, and China, while Arunachal Pradesh forms part of the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.

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Researchers have recorded the World Cup cicada (Chremistica ribhoi) in Assam for the first time, expanding its known distribution. The species is endemic to northeast India and was first described in 2013 from Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. It is popularly called the “World Cup cicada” because it emerges once every four years, coinciding with the FIFA World Cup cycle. Cicadas spend most of their life underground as nymphs before emerging briefly to reproduce. The discovery provides new insights into the species’ distribution and ecology.

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The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has issued directions to the Andhra Pradesh government regarding illegal fish ponds and environmental degradation in the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary. Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. It was established in 1999 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The sanctuary protects part of Kolleru Lake, a Ramsar Site since 2002, and is an important wetland ecosystem.

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A 29-year-old man was found dead inside Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district, Assam, with his family alleging that he was shot by forest guards. Raimona National Park is located in the Himalayan foothills of Assam. It was declared a National Park in 2021 and was earlier proposed as part of the Ripu–Chirang Wildlife Sanctuary. The park is an important habitat for Asian elephants, gaur (Indian bison), and the endangered golden langur. It is bounded by the Sankosh River (west), Saralbhanga River (north & east), and Ripu Reserve Forest (south).

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Lake Powell, a major reservoir on the Colorado River, recently reached its lowest recorded surface elevation. It is located on the Utah–Arizona border, its water level fell to about 3,519.8 feet, below the previous record set in 2023. It is created by the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Lake Powell is the second-largest reservoir in the United States by volume. The declining water level has raised concerns over water supply and hydroelectric power generation for several western U.S. states.

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Researchers from the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, discovered a new sunflower-family species in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh. The species has been named Doronicum sanctum and was found at an altitude of around 4,000 metres. It belongs to the Doronicum genus, commonly known as Leopard’s Bane. This is the first documented species of the Doronicum genus from Northeast India; earlier Indian records were restricted to the western Himalayas.

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Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in collaboration with ICAR-CMFRI and international experts, discovered a new deep-sea skate species, Dipturus dhritiae, in the southeastern Arabian Sea. The species, named Arabian Skate, was collected at depths of 400–600 metres off Kerala and the Wadge Bank during the Deep Ocean Mission. It had remained unidentified for over 40 years and was earlier misidentified as Dipturus springeri. The species can grow up to 131.5 cm and has five distinct rows of thorns along its tail. Genetic analysis showed 3.8–4.7% divergence from its closest known relative, the Travancore Skate. It is named after Dhriti Banerjee, ZSI’s first woman Director.

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Karnataka Forest Department data shows that Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary accounts for nearly half of the illegal arms and poaching cases recorded in the Chamarajanagar Forest Circle over 16 years. The Sanctuary is located in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats. It was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2013 and is ecologically connected with BRT Tiger Reserve, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.

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The Northern Goshawk, locally known as Baaz or Baaj, has recently attracted attention in Punjab after alleged sightings near prominent political leaders ahead of the Assembly elections. The Northern Goshawk is the state bird of Punjab, but wildlife authorities have struggled for years to physically locate and confirm its presence within the State. It is a powerful bird of prey belonging to the hawk family (Accipitridae) and is known for its agility, speed and hunting ability. The bird holds deep religious and cultural significance in Sikh history as it is traditionally associated with Guru Gobind Singh.