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 where in bidirectional nutrient transport takes place such as in green leaved "Goodyera repens". For the documented interactions in orchid mycorrhiza it has been observed that even in photosynthetically capable species carbon will readily flow from fungi to the plant. This may or may not occur simultaneously with the transfer of carbon from plant to fungi. The evolutionary reasoning for this phenomenon is yet to be deduced. Due to this orchid mycorrhiza in general are considered at least partially mycoheterotrophic interactions. In the mycoheterotrophic orchid mycorrhiza carbon is taken up, by the fungi, as an array of peptide and carbohydrate