Complexity Digest 2004.26 - 08

28-Jun-2004

Chaos In A Periodically Forced Chemostat With Algal Mortality, Alphagalileo & Proc. B Bookmark and Share

Abstract: We study the possibility of chaotic dynamics in the externally driven Droop model which describes a phytoplankton population in a chemostat under periodic supply of nutrients. Previously it has been proven under very general assumptions that such systems are not able to exhibit chaos. Here we show that the introduction of algal mortality may lead to chaotic oscillations of algal density, representing recurrent algal blooms in real aquatic ecosystems. Our results give insight into the dynamics of nutrient limited growth in a time-varying environment and should be of relevance for the understanding and role of deterministic chaos in ecological systems.