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].