ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we start the study of chemostat dynamics induced by interacting species. Mixed cultures of micro-organisms, inhabiting the same environment, often interact with each other, either in a direct way, i.e., when there is contact between them or indirectly when the interactions occur as a result of an alteration in the abiotic environment. Competition for nutrients and other resources is the most common indirect interaction that occurs between microbial species inhabiting the same environment. The environment may be either a natural ecosystem or an industrial bioprocess. Bioreactors are often used for the study of microbial competition since the number and type of microbial species can be well controlled, and the system can be isolated from other interactions that may occur between the competing micro-organisms [118, 279].
