WyoScholar Institutional Repository
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Recent Submissions
Item Fantasy, Communal Storytelling, and Regeneration in Dungeons and Dragons(University of Wyoming Libraries, 2025-05-15)Dungeons and Dragons, a tabletop Roleplaying Game, functions as a form of communal storytelling in modern American society. It utilizes elements of the Fantasy genre as outlined by J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis to tell modern stories. While utilizing elements of the Medievalism originating in the 1960's and 1970's D&D allows players to be changed by stories and to change the stories in turn, resulting in a regenerative cycle of both story and personal growth. D&D is uniquely positioned to do this. Its cultural resurgence at times of stress within the American culture positions D&D as a perfect medium for meaning-making through story telling in the modern era.Item Human influence on wildlife behavior at nutrient hotspots in Kenya (Is eating worth dealing with people?)(University of Wyoming Libraries, 2025-05-14)Humans influence wildlife globally by disrupting migration patterns, behavior, and modifying food availability. In Laikipia, Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, livestock corrals abandoned by pastoralists create nutrient-rich hotspots called glades. These glades, enriched by livestock waste, attract herbivorous wildlife due to the abundance of lush grazing vegetation. The study aims to explore how human presence within the conservancy influences wildlife behavior, mainly grazing patterns. The study compares the grazing activity in twelve glades—six classified as old and six as new and assesses whether wildlife shows a preference for glades with less human activity. Additionally, the study examines whether animals shift their grazing to later times of the day to avoid humans, which could increase their vulnerability to predators. Results and data analysis are in progress. Knowledge gained from this work helps managers understand wildlife's grazing patterns as they are affected by human influence. This study provides a framework for wildlife management and human impact mitigation in Kenya's conservancies.Item Biotic Crisis: Identifying Hymenoptera Decline Through Microbiome Inspection Using Diversity Metrics(University of Wyoming Libraries, 2025-05-14)Hymenopterans are an important order of insects consisting of bees (Apoidea), wasps (various families) and ants (Formicidae) significantly contributing to ecosystem function. Many important pollinators in this group are declining worldwide. Can sociality and disease be a driver of these declines? We documented spatial and socially influenced distributions hymenopterans inhabiting the Bighorn Basin using point-of-collection software (Anecdata.org) in 2022-2023. We investigated the microbiome of these samples expanding our collection over 2023-2024. We extracted DNA from whole-body homogenates, amplifying both 16S ribosomal DNA (V4/V5 region) and 18S COI regions following Earth Microbiome Project. Additionally, we assessed the microbiome of various castes contained within a bald-faced hornet nest (Dolichovespula maculata). We characterized metabarcode data via the QIIME2 pipeline comparing patterns of microbial diversity across space and bee/ant/wasp taxa and caste. In our recent sampling, from highest occurrence to lowest, bacterial phyla most well-represented were: Proteobacteria (67.6%), Firmicutes/Bacillota (23.7%), Cyanobacteria (3.4%; potential environmental/substrate contaminants?), Bacteroidota (2.8%), and Actinobacteriota (1.8%) following a similar pattern in our 2022 data: in our previous samples Proteobacteria (83.7%), Firmicutes/Bacillota (8.4%), Bacteroidota (4.1%), Actinobacteria (3.6%), and Cyanobacteria (0.1%). Previously we found the common insect parasite, Wolbachia sp., in only 1 sample (of 33), an overwintering European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) queen. However, in our recent sampling effort of 69 samples, 10 samples contained Wolbachia including 2 European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and 3 bald-faced hornet samples (a larva and a nest substrate). Other Wolbachia-positive samples remain to be identified but included 1 ant. We also identified 20+ other harmful bacteria in our samples. Including Gilliamella and Snodgrassella, which both live in the gut biome of the insects, negatively affecting their immune systems. Can non-native species like Polistes dominula be spreading bacterial disease among native community members Furthermore, we assessed whether the degree of sociality can predict disease occurrence and microbial diversity for we hypothesized that asocial (solitary) hymenopterans may individually harbor less species (OTU) richness but increased ß diversity compared to more social and eusocial members of the order. After computing α and ß diversity metrics, we have finally been able to review the trends between each caste member.Item Identifying interstate alignment in Species of Greatest Conservation Need(University of Wyoming Libraries, 2025-05-13)State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) shape conservation of wildlife within each state. Every SWAP includes a list of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), and this list reflects the concerns, priorities, and conservation needs for each state. Because priorities vary between states, a species listed as an SGCN in one state may not be listed in an adjacent state. In many cases, however, conservation efforts could be bolstered by multiple, adjacent states working towards similar goals. To support the conservation of SGCNs, we sought to identify instances where there is interstate alignment between species listed as SGCN in Wyoming and the surrounding states. We determined whether SGCN listed on Wyoming’s 2017 SWAP were also listed as SGCN in the SWAPs for South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Montana. By identifying instances of interstate alignment, we identified opportunities for Wyoming and surrounding states to work together towards mutual conservation goals.Item Assessing Vein Density of Fossilized and Modern Ferns at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Boundry(University of Wyoming Libraries, 2025-05-13)Vein density in ferns can serve as a valuable proxy for past environmental conditions, offering insights into climatic shifts and hydrologic cycling across geological time periods. The vein densities of ferns in a simulated greenhouse experiment replicating the events of the K-Pg mass extinction were analyzed. Each taxon (Athyrium, Dicksonia, and Polystichum) had a significant difference (p < 0.003) in vein densities between the simulated high CO2 state of the Cretaceous and the simulated recovery phase of the Paleocene. This study also examines vein density in ferns from the late Cretaceous and early Paleocene to better understand their role as a disaster taxon during the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event. A total of 173 specimens from 28 localities were analyzed using ImageJ to measure vein density, with statistical comparisons conducted through t-tests in R. Two prominent morphotypes that persisted through the K-Pg mass extinction were assessed, comparing their vein densities in the late Cretaceous and early Paleocene. Preliminary results indicate a mixed significant difference across the boundary, with Allantodiopsis erosa (Lesquereux) Knowlton showing a near-significant difference (p = 0.05247), while Woodwardia arctica (Heer) Brown (p = 0.996) showed no notable change (Peppe et al., 2011). These findings contribute to our understanding of fern morphology and their response to ancient climate transitions. Further research needs to be conducted with additional specimens to understand patterns across other morphotypes and sites
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