Orchid mycorrhiza allowed for the identification of specific taxa forming symbiotic relationships which are of interest in the study, cultivation, and conservation of orchids. This is especially important in the trade and preservation endangered species or orchids of commercial value like the vanilla bean. There have been seen trends in the type of symbioses found in orchids, depending primarily on the life-style of the orchid, as the symbiosis is primarily of benefit to the plant. Terrestrial orchids have been found to commonly associate with Tulasnellaceae, however some autotrophic and non-autotrophic orchids do associate with several ectomycorrhizal fungi. Epiphytic fungi, however, may associate
Orchid mycorrhiza to orchid plants the transfer of these nutrients, as discussed, above is almost identical to that observed in arbuscular mycorrhiza and ericoid mycorrhiza, but when it comes to arguably the most fundamental element involved in mycorrhizal transport carbon, orchid mycorrhiza show a distinct divergence form the traditional paradigm of unidirectional nutrient transfer in mycorrhizal associations. Orchid mycorrhizal interactions encompass a large variety of symbiotic scenarios, ranging from fully mycoheterotrophic plants or in other words parasitic on their fungal inhabitant such as "Monotropa uniflora" which lacks chlorophyll, to interactions that take on a similar nature to those found in arbuscular mycorrhiza,