Chaotic dynamics of a food web in a chemostat

We analyze a mathematical model of a simple food web consisting of one pred ator and two prey populations in a chemostat. Monod's model is employed for the dependence of the specific growth rates of the two prey populations on the concentration of the rate-limiting substrate and a generalization of M onod's model for the dependence of the specific growth rate of the predator on the concentrations of the prey populations. We use numerical bifurcatio n techniques to determine the effect of the operating conditions of the che mostat on the dynamics of the system and construct its operating diagram. C haotic behavior resulting from successive period doublings is observed. Mul tistability phenomena of coexistence of steady and periodic states at the s ame operating conditions are also found. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.