Research in my lab involves problems in plant ecology. Studies have focused on the floral ecology of orchids in the Colby-Marston preserve, pollen viability and stigma receptivity, and solar tracking of several species in Israel. Current work includes a reproductive biology study of a rare plant in Bulgaria and a rare Iris in Israel.
In addition, recent studies with students have included watershed analyses to determine sources and amounts of phosphorus additions to lakes.
Publications
Firmage, D. H. and F. R. Cole. 1984. The floral ecology of Platanthera blephariglottis. Amer. J. Bot. 71(5):700-710.
Firmage, D. H. 1988. Reproductive success and inflorescence size of Calopogon tuberosus (Orchidaceae). Amer. J. Bot. 75(9):1371-1377.
Labov, J.B. and Firmage, D.H. 1994. Introducing concepts of random ordering and random assignment of subjects: computer-assisted classroom and laboratory exercises. American Biology Teacher 56(3):169-173.
FirmageD. and R. Cole. 1999. The Challenges of Integrating Service-Learning in the Biology:Environmental Science Curriculum at Colby College. In: Acting Locally: Concepts and Models of Service-Learning in Environmental Studies, edited by Harold Ward, American Association for Higher Education. Wash. D. C.
Dafni, A.and D. Firmage. 2001. Pollen viability and longevity: practical, ecological and evolutionary implications. Plant Syst. & Evol. 222: 113-132
Firmage, D. H. and A. Dafni. 2001. Field tests for pollen viability; a comparative approach. Acta Hort. 561, ISHS, pp. 87-94.
Philip J. Nyhus, F. Russell Cole, David H. Firmage, Edward H. Yeterian. 2002. Enhancing the integration of research and education using an interdisciplinary undergraduate research symposium. CUR Quarterly, Sept. 23(1):16-23.
Philip J. Nyhus, F. Russell Cole, David H. Firmage and Phoebe S. Lehmann. 2002. Enhancing Education through Research in the Environmental Science Laboratory: Integrating GIS and Project-Based Learning at Colby College. Council of Undergraduate Research Quarterly, Sept. 23(1):34-40.
Nyhus, P. J., Cole, F. R., Firmage, D. H. & Yeterian, E. H. (2004). Teaching Fellows: An Innovative Approach to Facilitate the Integration of Research and Education at Colby College. In Reinvigorating the Undergraduate Curriculum: Lessons from the Integration of Research and Education. http://www.cur.org/publications/aire_raire/toc.asp (eds L. Kauffman & J. Stocks), Washington, D.C., Council of Undergraduate Research. 2005 Firmage, David H., Thomas H. Tietenberg, and F. Russell Cole. Research-based Learning in an Introductory Environmental Studies Course. Council of Undergraduate Research Quarterly. 25(4): 191-200.
2005 A Watershed Analysis of Togus Pond: Implications for Water Quality and Land Use Management. F. Russell Cole, David H. Firmage, and Daniel C. Tierney, Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 04901. Report produced and provided to Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Town of Augusta, and the Worromontogus Lake Association.
2006 Nyhus, P. J., F. R. Cole, D. H. Firmage, D. Tierney, S. W. Cole, R. B. Phillips, and E. H. Yeterian. GIS and environmental studies: Interdisciplinary approaches to integrating research and education at Colby College. In Teaching & Learning with GIS in the Liberal Arts (eds. D. Sinton and J. Lund). ESRI Press, Redlands,
2007 E. Kozuharova, D. H. Firmage. On the Pollination Ecology of Astragalus alopecurus Pallas (Fabaceae) in Western Rhodopes Mts., Bulgaria. Bulgarian Acad. Sci. 60(8):821-826.
2008 Jamie O�Connell, Claire Thompson, Kristyn Loving, David Firmage, Russell Cole, Tracey Greenwood. Phosphorus loading in the South Basin of Long Pond, Kennebec County, Maine. Poster presentation at the Maine Water Conference, April 2008
2008 Kerry Whittaker, Eva Gougian, Jessica Harold, David Firmage, Russell Cole, and Tracey Greenwood.. The impact of development and changing land-use patterns on the water quality of Long Pond, South Basin. Poster presentation at the Maine Water Conference, April 2008. (Received first prize)
2009 E. Kozuharova*and D. H. Firmage. Bombus hortorum as pollinators of two rare Astragalus species. Poster presented at the Scandinavian Association of Pollination Biologists (SCAPE) meetings in Finland, October.
2010 E. Kozuharova and D. H. Firmage. Notes on the Reproductive Biology of Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. (Fabaceae) � A Rare Plant for Bulgaria. In Press. Bulgarian Acad. Sci.
2010 E. Kozuharova, V. Tzvetanova, and D. Firmage. Seed germination and seedling development of two rare Astragalus species (Fabaceae). Phytologia Balcanica 16(1): 51-56.
