STEADY-STATE COEXISTENCE OF 3 PURE AND SIMPLE COMPETITORS IN A 4-MEMBERED REACTOR NETWORK

In this study we investigate the dynamics of pure and simple competiti on among three microbial populations in a spatially heterogeneous envi ronment. The environment is modeled as a network of four interconnecte d bioreactors. Growth has been assumed to be noninhibitory, while main tenance requirements have been neglected. Results of numerical studies indicate that the three competitors may coexist in a stable steady st ate in a domain of the operating parameters space. Results are present ed in the form of two-dimensional operating diagrams. No domain was fo und 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 int erconnected bioreactors while numerical studies have shown that three pure and simple competitors cannot coexist in three interconnected bio reactors, the results of the present study may lead one to speculate t he N pure and simple competitors may coexist in a network made of 2(N- 1) bioreactors.