Although the ecological role of this fungus in natural ecosystems is not yet known, it is a cosmopolitan saprotroph in soil, forest leaf litter, in animal dung, and on the spore-producing bodies of ascomycete fungi.

Umbelopsis ramanniana has also been found growing as an endophyte within xylem tissue of both healthy and declining conifers, but its exact effect on the plant hosts is unknown.

Umbelopsis ramanniana is important from a biochemistry and biotechnology perspective because it is highly tolerant to fungicides of benomyl group, and it is oleaginous (it regularly produces oils).

Expression of Umbelopsis ramanniana diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2A in seed increases oil in soybean without reduction of other important yield parameters.

[3] The species is further characterized by its velvety colonies, a rudimentary columella being subglobose to flattened, and is lacking in the garlic-like odor that is common in the Mortierella isabellina-Group that U. ramanniana was originally thought to belong to.

It has been recorded in Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kerala, Mauritius, New Zealand North, Ontario, Peninsular Malaysia, Queensland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Victoria, and throughout the US.

The most prevalent studies have shown Umbelopsis ramanniana to be present in leaf litter, animal dung, on the roots and within the xylem of some conifers, and on spore producing bodies of some ascomycetes including the ascocarp of Peziza species.

U. ramanniana was one of the first to bounce back, with affinity for the ponderosa pine, leading the authors to believe that it is a common endophyte and soil saprobe that is favored by disturbance in a dry environment.

[6] Umbelopsis ramanniana is quite relevant to biology and human activity today due to both its high tolerance to benomyl group fungicides, and the oleaginous nature of the fungus.

Scientists have created a codon-optimized version of this gene that is introduced into soybeans and maize in order to increase the oil content of the oilseeds.

In soybeans, this gene increased oil content 1.5% by weight in mature seed, without any decrease in yield or protein synthesis.

[9] The order Mucorales was first studied by scientists in the late 1800s, with a large amount of that research being done in Europe, but some in the southeastern United States.