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 mycorrhizal association with beech trees, and translocation of photosynthate from tree to fungus and then to orchid has been proposed, but a thorough study is still lacking. Once acquired by the fungus the carbon is either converted into sugars, trehalose being extremely common for most mycorrhizal fungus, amino acids, or simply assimilated into the fungal organism. The transfer of carbon from fungi to plant happens in one of two forms either as carbohydrates primarily trehalose, but glucose and sucrose may also be involved, or as an amino acids primarily as arginine but glycine and glutamine can also be transferred. These