Dynamics of free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterial populations in antagonistic conditions

The survival of free-living nitrogen-fixing microbial populations in the natural ecosystem is crucial for the system maintenance and productivity due to the unique role of these organisms in the global biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen.The dynamics of a nitrogen-fixing microbial population grown at various conditions in a chemostat, together with a competitive (for the common resources) population, was studied through bifurcation analysis of a mathematical model of the system. When the carbon source is found in abundance in the feed, then the competition for this nutrient is low. High amounts of ammonium nitrogen (a substance that inhibits growth of the nitrogen-fixing population) are assimilated for the growth needs of both populations. Under these conditions the nitrogen-fixing population can survive (alone or together with its competitor) in a wide range of parameter values and operating conditions and in some cases nitrogenase synthesis occurs.When the inflow medium contains low carbon substrate concentrations, high competition occurs for this nutrient. In these conditions the nitrogen-fixing population can survive only if it has the competitive advantage over its competitor. However, if the inflow medium contains high ammonium concentrations, the nitrogen-fixing population is inhibited and loses its competitive advantage. Under these conditions, only nitrogen-fixing populations, which are able to establish amensalistic interactions can survive in the system.