Competition in a turbidostat for an inhibitory nutrient

Abstract

A model of competition in a turbidostat between two species for an inhibitory growth-limiting nutrient is considered. It is shown that the model has rich dynamics. A coexistence equilibrium and the washout equilibrium can be asymptotically stable simultaneously so that coexistence may depend on initial conditions. Under certain conditions, periodic coexistence of the two species occurs. There is a possibility that two species coexist, whereas one species dies out in the absence of its rival. © 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.