Fungal diversity in shade-coffee plantations in Soconusco, Mexico

We collected bark samples to compare fungal diversity in general, and the presence of mycorrhizae-forming species in particular from shade trees and coffee bushes in two coffee plantations. We detected several types of mycorrhizal fungi that could potentially make them a suitable habitat for populations of orchids and other epiphytes. Traditional coffee cultivation could be part of an integrated strategy for restoration and conservation of epiphytic orchid populations.