This paper presents a method for autonomously collecting surveyquality data from underground spaces for the purposes of 3D modeling. This overview includes a systems-level description of the robotic tools, data acquisition process and data processing techniques that enable accurate 3D modeling of subterranean interiors. A performance evaluation and accuracy analysis between the capabilities of ...

Camptochaeta prolixasp. n. (Diptera, Sciaridae) is described from caves in Nevada, and three other congeneric species are recorded from caves in Nevada and Arkansas, United States. The new species shows some indication to a subterranean mode of life, including long antenna and legs, and in some specimens, reduction of the eye bridge.

The identity and impact of trophic linkages within subterranean arthropod communities are challenging to establish, a fact that hinders the development of conservation biological control programs of subterranean herbivores. Diabrotica virgifera (the western corn rootworm) is a severe agricultural pest that lives subterraneously during its pre-imaginal stages and succumbs to high levels of pre-i...

In a feeding trial with 24 sheep, we used the alkanes, long-chain alcohols (LCOH) or both of these plant wax markers, to estimate the diet composition of animals offered diets comprising alkane-labelled cottonseed meal (CSM) together with up to four forages. The diets used were: Diet 1 subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum); Diet 2 subterranean clover + phalaris (Phalaris aquatica); Diet ...

A method is developed that improves the accuracy of super-resolution range maps over interpolation by fusing actively illuminated HDR camera imagery with LIDAR data in dark subterranean environments. The key approach is shape recovery from estimation of the illumination function and integration in a Markov Random Field (MRF) framework. A virtual reconstruction using data collected from the Bruc...

Biodiversity conservation is a central imperative of the 21st century. Subterranean ecosystems deliver critical nature's contributions to people and harbour broad diversity poorly understood specialised organisms. However, subterranean biome still largely overlooked in global biodiversity targets. We assessed how well represented protected areas (Natura 2000 Emerald networks) two hotspots (the ...

Barbary macaques live in extreme temperate environments characterized by strongly seasonal resource availability. They are mainly terrestrial while foraging, harvesting food from the herbaceous layer. These monkeys are threatened mainly because of anthropogenic habitat degradation. We studied the adaptive capacities of wild groups of Barbary macaques that lived in different cedar forests underg...