Griffith University

B Science (Hons), PhD

Research Fellow, Australian Rivers Institute

Contact details for Doctor Stephen Balcombe

Research Interests

• Ecology of freshwater fish
• Fish population dynamics in dryland rivers
• Environmental flow management in the Murray-Darling Basin

Publications

Book Chapters

• Balcombe, S.R. Huey J.A., Lobegeiger J.S., Marshall J.C., Arthington, A.H. Davis, L.C., Sternberg, D. & Thoms, M.C. (2010). Comparing fish biomass models based on biophysical factors in two northern Murray-Darling Basin rivers: a cautionary tale. In “Ecosystem Response Modelling in the Murray Darling Basin’ (Eds N. Saintilan and I. Overton) pp. 67-83 CSIRO Press Canberra, ACT.)
• Bunn, S.E., Balcombe, S.R., Davies, P.M., Fellows, C.S. & McKenzie-Smith, F.J.  (2006) Aquatic productivity and food webs of desert river ecosystems. pp. 76-99. In: R.T. Kingsford (ed). Ecology of Desert Rivers. Cambridge University Press.

Peer reviewed articles

• Arthington, A.H. & Balcombe, SR. (accepted) Extreme flow variability and the “boom” and “bust” ecology of fish in arid zone floodplain rivers: a case history with implications for environmental flows, conservation and management. Ecohydrology.
• Balcombe, S.R., Arthington, A.H., Thoms M.C. & Wilson, G.G. (2011) Fish assemblage patterns across a gradient of flow regulation in an Australian dryland river system. River Research and Applications 27, 168-183.
• Arthington, A.H., Olden, J.D., Balcombe S.R., & Thoms M.C. (2010)  Multi-scale environmental factors explain fish losses and refuge quality in drying waterholes of Cooper Creek, an Australian arid-zone river Marine and Freshwater Research 61, 842-856.
• Blessing, J.J., Marshall, J.C. & Balcombe S.R. (2010) Humane killing of fish for scientific research: a comparison of two methods  Journal of Fish Biology 76, 2571-2577
• Sheldon, F., Bunn, S.E., Hughes, J.M., Arthington, A.H., Balcombe, S.R. &  Fellows, C.S. (2010) Dryland river waterholes: Ecological roles and threats to aquatic refugia in arid landscapes: dryland river waterholes. Marine and Freshwater Research 61, 885-895.
• Rahman, M.M., Kadowaki, S., Balcombe, S.R. & Wahab, M.A. (2010) Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) alters its feeding niche in response to changing food resources: direct observations in simulated ponds. Ecological Research 25, 303-309.
• Balcombe, S.R. & Arthington A.H. (2009) Temporal changes in fish abundance in response to hydrological variability in a dryland floodplain river. Marine and Freshwater Research 60, 146-159.
• De Lathouder, R., Jones, D.N. & Balcombe S.R. (2009) Assessing the abundance of turtles in an Australian urban landscape. Urban Ecosystems 12, 215-231
• Burford, M.A., Cook, A.J., Fellows, C.S., Balcombe S.R & Bunn, SE. (2008) Sources of Carbon fuelling production in an arid floodplain river. Marine and Freshwater Research 59, 222-234.
• Sternberg, D., Balcombe, S.R., Marshall, J.C. & Lobegeiger, J. (2008) Food resource variability in an Australian dryland river: evidence from the diet of two generalist native fish species. Marine and Freshwater Research 59, 137-144.
• Balcombe, S.R., Bunn, S.E., Arthington, A.H., Fawcett, J.H., McKenzie-Smith, F.J. & Wright, A. (2007) Fish larvae, growth and biomass relationships in an Australian arid zone river: links between floodplains and waterholes. Freshwater Biology 52, 2385-2398.
• Balcombe, S.R., Closs, G.P. & Suter, P.J. (2007) Density and distribution of epiphytic invertebrates on emergent macrophytes in a floodplain billabong. River Research and Applications 23, 843-857.
• Balcombe, S.R., Arthington, A.H., Foster, N.D, Thoms, M.C, Wilson G.A. & Bunn, S.E. (2006) Fish assemblages of an Australian dryland river: abundance, assemblage structure and recruitment patterns in the Warrego River, Murray-Darling Basin. Marine and Freshwater Research 57, 619-633.
• Balcombe S.R. & Humphries P. (2006). Diet of the western carp gudgeon (Hypsleotris klunzingeri Ogilby) in an Australian floodplain lake: the role of water level stability. Journal of Fish Biology 68, 1484-1493.
• Arthington, A.H., Balcombe, S.R., Wilson, G.G. & Thoms M.C. (2005) Spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure within isolated waterholes during the 2001 dry season of an arid-zone floodplain river, Cooper Creek, Australia.  Marine and Freshwater Research 56, 25-35.
• Balcombe, S.R., Bunn, S.E., Davies, P.M., & McKenzie-Smith, F.J. (2005) Variability of fish diets between dry and flood periods in an arid zone floodplain river. Journal of Fish Biology 67, 1552-1567.
• Balcombe, S.R. & Closs, G.P. (2004). Spatial relationships and temporal variability in a littoral macrophyte fish assemblage.  Marine and Freshwater Research. 55: 609-617.
• Balcombe, S.R. & Closs G.P. (2000). Variation in carp gudgeon (Hypseleotris spp.) catch rate in dense macrophytes. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 15: 389-395.
• Closs, G.P., Balcombe, S.R. & Shirley, M.J. (1999).  Generalist predators, interaction strength and food web stability. Advances in Ecological Research 28: 93-119.