Indisim-som, an Individual-based Model to Study Short- Term Evolutions of Carbon and Nitrogen Pools Related to Microbial Activity in Soil Organic Matter

This work deals with the implementation of a soil organic matter model in an individual-based modelling framework. The simulator INDISIM-SOM models the dynamics of carbon and nitrogen related to soil organic matter and the soil microbial activity by using a discrete simulation. This simulation model controls the activity of group of microbial cells in a space divided into square cells where amounts of different types of organic compounds are also controlled. Different metabolic pathways and sources of C and N the microorganisms can use are identified. INDISIM-SOM deals with the mineralization and nitrification of C and N and, the activity of heterotrophic microorganisms and nitrifier bacteria. The calibration of the simulation model has made use of data from laboratory incubation experiments performed on three different types of Mediterranean soils.