Abstract
In this study we investigate the dynamics of pure and simple competition among three microbial populations in a spatially heterogeneous environment. The environment is modeled as a network of four interconnected bioreactors. Growth has been assumed to be noninhibitory, while maintenance requirements have been neglected. Results of numerical studies indicate that the three competitors may coexist in a stable steady state in a domain of the operating parameters space. Results are presented in the form of two-dimensional operating diagrams. No domain was found in the operating parameter space where more than one steady state is meaningful and stable. Since earlier theoretical studies have shown that two pure and simple microbial competitors may coexist in two interconnected bioreactors while numerical studies have shown that three pure and simple competitors cannot coexist in three interconnected bioreactors, the results of the present study may lead one to speculate the N pure and simple competitors may coexist in a network made of 2N-1 bioreactors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 147-165 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Mathematical Biosciences |
Volume | 123 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1994 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Statistics and Probability
- Modeling and Simulation
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- Applied Mathematics