This work aimed at analyzing the effect of temperature and humidity of the soil on mineralization and nitrification processes of the nitrogen, as well as to compare nitrate and ammonium concentrations, simulated by the model SIMASS-C, with those observed. Two experiments were performed: the first in biological incubation camara, varying temperature and water content of the soil and the second, in columns in laboratory. The temperature and water content affected the transformations of nitrogen, and the effects were more pronounced after 15 days of incubation, mainly at temperatures above 25 °C and for water content higher than field capacity. By estimates of the biological reactions of nitrogen, higher levels of soil water caused larger errors between observed and simulated nitrate and ammonium concentrations.
water and solute transport; simulation; nitrate; ammonium
