The relationships between estimates of mycorrhizal activity, time following reclamation, and soil edaphic factors were investigated over a period of 2.5 years during reclamation of five abandoned surface mine sites in western Kentucky. These sites were reclaimed at different times and were in varying stages of revegetation. At the seeding stage of reclamation and soon thereafter, propagule and spore population densities were low but invariably present. Roots recovered from minespoil during this period were not colonized, and colonization was not observed until a full year following reclamation. During the first 2 years following reclamation, colonization of roots, population densities of propagules and spores, and total spore volume increased rapidly. Thereafter, vegetative and mycorrhizal parameters appeared to stabilize. Each estimate of mycorrhizal activity in minespoil was highly correlated with time following reclamation and all other mycorrhizal parameters. Edaphic factors with positive relationships to mycorrhizal propagule and spore population densities included soil organic matter and calcium. Keywords: Glomales mycorrhizal fungi, reclamation, abandoned minespoil, most probable number, propagule population density.

Potential insect vectors for transmission of oak leaf scorch caused by Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., in pin and red oaks in New Jersey were surveyed by placing yellow sticky card traps in tree canopies and fogging with pyrethrin insecticide during 2002-2006. Thirty-seven Cicadomorpha species were collected from 20 genera in Membracidae, Cicadellidae, Aphrophoridae, and Clastopteridae. Of the 12,880 potential vectors collected, 91.4% were Membracidae, 6.9% were Cicadellidae, and 1.7% were Aphrophoridae and Clastopteridae. Fogging collected more insect species and individuals than sticky card collections. Sticky card sampling, done more frequently and at a larger number of locations provided similar community structure information as fogging. Sticky card collections of the dominant treehopper species, Ophiderma definita Woodruff were male biased when females were gravid. O. definita populations peaked in early June, comprised 68.2% of the total collection, and were more abundant in pin oaks than red oaks. Graphocephala versuta (Say) peaked in mid-July, comprising 6.2% of the total collection. Higher Cicadomorpha populations were observed in asymptomatic oak canopies than in neighboring X. fastidiosa infected oaks. Individual insect specimens collected from oaks were subjected to a X. fastidiosa DNA assay by polymerase chain reaction amplification. The average X. fastidiosa positive rate was 13.89% for all specimens tested. Eleven treehopper species, six leafhopper species, and four spittlebug species tested DNA positive for X. fastidiosa.

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