Question

With respect to the given example of food web, which level of the consumers does the bear belong to?

• A. Primary consumer
• B. Secondary consumer
• C. Both A and B
• D. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary consumer

Answer 1

The correct option is D Primary, Secondary and Tertiary consumer

When the bear eats berries, it is a primary consumer as it directly feeds on plants. When it eats rodents, it becomes a secondary consumer. Rodents feed on grass, so rodent is the primary consumer and hence bear feeding on the rodent is a secondary consumer. When the bear eats salmon, the bear is functioning as a tertiary consumer as salmons are secondary consumers that feed on zooplankton (primary consumers) that consume phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are producers, which make their own food from sunlight.