What is a Primary Consumer?

If you are learning about food webs, you may already be familiar with the concept of primary consumers. Primary consumers are organisms that get their energy from consuming plant materials. Although known by several other terms, such as herbivores or plant eaters, these organisms form the first level of a food chain and, ultimately, the entire food web.

Definition

A primary consumer is an organism that eats primary producers in a food chain or food web. Primary producers gain energy by converting sunlight into food through the process of photosynthesis. Primary consumers are commonly referred to as herbivores, since they feed on the primary producers in the food chain, which are often plants.

Examples

Examples of primary consumers include rabbits, cows, deer, caterpillars, grasshoppers and termites. In an aquatic ecosystem, examples of primary consumers include amphibians, fish, mollusks and plankton. More generally, all organisms that consume plant material can be considered primary consumers.

Importance

Primary consumers are important for a number of reasons. They are essential for the survival of the primary producers on which they feed. In addition, primary consumers form the basis of the food chain, providing a source of energy for secondary consumers, which are organisms that feed on other primary consumers. By providing an essential link between producers and higher-level predators, primary consumers play an important role in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem.