Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Karnataka State Board for Wildlife rejected four proposed stone-quarrying projects near Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gadag district, Karnataka. The decision aims to protect the sanctuary’s biodiversity-rich landscape from mining and quarrying activities. The sanctuary is situated in the Kappatagudda hill region of northern Karnataka. It protects a biodiversity-rich landscape and provides habitat for wildlife and native vegetation. The region is associated with dry and tropical deciduous vegetation and scrubland.

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Botanists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new plant species named Ceropegia tamilnaduensis in Tamil Nadu. The species was found on the hill slopes of Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Western Ghats. It grows at an elevation of approximately 380 metres above sea level. The plant produces distinctive deep brownish-purple flowers and unusually large seeds measuring up to 14 mm in length. Researchers observed more than 50 flowering individuals during the discovery. The species was provisionally classified as Data Deficient (DD) under IUCN guidelines because further studies are required to determine its population size and geographical distribution.

Notes:
Recently, Janakikkad Forest was in the news after the first photographic evidence of the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Ketupa nipalensis) was recorded in the region. Janakikkad Forest is an eco-tourism centre located in Kozhikode district, Kerala. The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl is a large, nocturnal bird of prey recognised by its distinctive dark chevron markings and deep call. Located near the Kuttiyady River basin, the forest supports diverse birdlife and forest-dwelling species. Janakikkad forms part of the ecologically rich Western Ghats, highlighting the importance of conserving biodiversity and natural habitats.

Notes:
A tiger has been recorded in Beed district of Maharashtra for the first time in nearly 100 years, according to forest officials. The tiger reportedly travelled across several districts from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. It is a prominent protected area in the Deccan plateau region, serving as a vital source population for wild Bengal tigers. The sanctuary is ecologically linked through fragmented habitat corridors to other forested regions like Tadoba-Andhari.

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Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered and described a new barklice species named Allocaecilius nilgiriensis in the Nilgiri Mountains. The species was found in the Southern Western Ghats, across forest landscapes in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This discovery marks only the second recorded occurrence of the genus Allocaecilius in India. With this discovery, the total number of known Allocaecilius species worldwide has increased to 13. Barklice are tiny insects that inhabit tree bark and feed on mould, fungi, algae, lichens and dead organic matter. The species lives in damp, shaded habitats, particularly high-altitude shola forests and evergreen rainforests.

Notes:
A male Bengal tiger, identified as STR-T10 ‘Ranoji’, was spotted and recorded on camera by tourists during a jungle safari at Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary. According to forest officials, it was the first officially documented tiger sighting by tourists in the sanctuary, supported by photographs and video footage. Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary covers approximately 341 sq. km and forms an important wildlife corridor within the larger Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. The sanctuary is known for its rich biodiversity and wildlife, including gaur and other forest-dwelling species.

Notes:
Botanists have discovered a new flowering plant species named Disporum kamakhasiense in the forests of Assam and Meghalaya. The plant belongs to the Colchicaceae family and is a perennial herb that can grow up to 180 cm in height. It was recorded at three locations: Garbhanga Reserve Forest (Assam), Laisong in Dima Hasao district (Assam), and Barapani (Meghalaya). The plant has branched stems, broad yellowish-green leaves with prominent veins and white, star-shaped flowers. It grows on cliffs, mainly beneath bamboo forests, at elevations ranging from 200 to 1,100 metres.

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Chhattisgarh is planning to reintroduce blackbucks into Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary after a gap of more than five decades. Around 50 blackbucks will be translocated from Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary to Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary. Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district of Chhattisgarh and is known for its forest and wildlife diversity. The initiative highlights the importance of habitat protection, anti-poaching measures and community participation in biodiversity conservation.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new scorpion species named Liocheles similipalensis in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Odisha. The discovery marks the first confirmed record of the genus Liocheles in Odisha. The newly discovered scorpion measures approximately 44–53 mm in length and has a distinctive glossy, bluish-black appearance. It was found in rocky habitats within tropical moist deciduous forests, at an elevation of approximately 1,000 metres above sea level. The species has been named after Similipal, the protected forest landscape where it was discovered.

Notes:
A four-year-old male tiger (T-39) was recently found dead in the Nawegaon–Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Gondia district, Maharashtra. The reserve is located in the eastern part of Maharashtra, in the Vidarbha region. It covers parts of Gondia and Bhandara districts. It forms an important forest landscape for tiger conservation in central India. Its forests provide habitat for tigers and several other species of wildlife. The landscape is characterised by tropical dry deciduous forests, bamboo and teak vegetation.