TABLE 1.
Baseline parameters for the principal model (Model 6) and range over which global sensitivity analysis was performeda
| Parameter | Units | Value | Minimum | Maximum | Reason or source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflow substrate concn (S0) | mg ml−1 | 5 × 10−3 | 5 × 10−3 | 2.5 | Assumed to be ∼2 × KS,N |
| Prey maximum specific growth rate (μN) | h−1 | 1.23 | ¾ ln(2) | 3 ln(2) | (28) |
| Predator attack rate constant (μP) | mg bdelloplast mg predator−1 h−1 | 0.38 | 0.3 | 6 | (22) |
| Predator K-value (KN,P) | mg prey ml−1 | 8.6 × 10−4 | 1.5 × 10−6 | 6.5 × 10−3 | (22) |
| Yield of bdelloplasts from predators (YB/P) | mg bdelloplast mg predator−1 | 8 | 5 | 20 | Relative sizes of E. coli and Bdellovibrio cells (8, 29) |
| Bdelloplast maturation rate (kP) | mg predator mg bdelloplast−1 h−1 | 0.109 | 0.075 | 0.3 | (14) |
| Predator mortality rate (m) | h−1 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.09 | (10) |
| Dilution rate (D) | h−1 | Always 0.05 | |||
| Prey K-value (KS,N) | mg ml−1 | Always 2.34 × 10−3 | (28) | ||
| Yield of prey from substrate (YN/S) | mg dry mass prey mg substrate−1 | Always 0.4444 | (28) | ||
| Yield of bdelloplasts from prey (YB/N) | mg bdelloplast−1 mg prey−1 | Always | Relative sizes of E. coli and Bdellovibrio cells (8, 29) | ||
| Yield of predators from bdelloplasts (YP/B) | mg predator mg bdelloplast−1 | Always 0.438 | Relative sizes of E. coli and Bdellovibrio cells and burst size (8, 14, 29) | ||
a
All yields are expressed in the form which is the yield of consumer A per resource B consumed. The half-saturation constant, or K-value, of consumer B for resource A is expressed as .