Runoff inhibitors can be used to suppress soil erosion and nutrient runoff. Their impact on soil ecosystems needs to be assessed. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate effects of runoff inhibitors on metabolic activities of soil microbes using starch, cationic starch, guar gum, xanthan gum, and PAM (polyacrylamide) as carbon sources. Responses of soil microbes to carbon sources were analyzed using Biolog EcoPlate. Soil was treated with each carbon source at 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0%. Carbon utilization was measured every week for three weeks. Average well color development (AWCD) was increased in the group treated with starch at 0.5 or 1.0% at 3 weeks after treatment. Effect of cationic starch was different depending on treatment period. This effect decreased at 3 weeks after treatment. Guar gum increased AWCD at all concentrations. Reactions of microbes were different depending on the type of carbon source. Xanthan gum increased AWCD at all concentrations, although amino acid decomposition showed no significant difference. On the other hand, PAM decreased AWCD at all concentrations. The Shannon H index representing functional diversity showed a tendency similar to that of AWCD for all treatments. These results indicate that soil treatments can have secondary effects on metabolic function of soil microbes and physical properties of soil.

Community composition and abundance of aquatic invertebrates are important for ecological functions. Community characteristics of insects and gastropods were compared in five regions to investigate the effect of geological factors in surveys conducted between June and August to analyze seasonal changes in invertebrate communities. Underwater traps were used to obtain a constant collection effect. Insect communities were dominated by Hydrochara affinis, Rhantus suturalis and Sigara nigroventralis, and nMDS analysis demonstrated the separation of their communities by region. H. affinis and Sternolophus rufipes were not found in Haenam and Cheolwon, respectively. The results showed the effects of regional temperature on the distribution of aquatic insects. Pomacea canaliculata, Hippeutis cantori and Austropeplea ollula were dominant in the gastropod community. The seasonal variation in the abundance of P. canaliculata was the most pronounced, and its abundance in August was 38.2 times higher than in June. The abundances of several species including Hippeutis cantori were negatively correlated with that of P. canaliculata. These results suggest that P. canaliculata is a pivotal factor that drives seasonal changes in gastropod community.