Which organism primarily feeds on producers?

The correct answer is that a consumer primarily feeds on producers. In ecological terms, producers, such as plants and phytoplankton, harness energy from sunlight through photosynthesis and form the base of the food web. Consumers are organisms that rely on these producers for their energy and nutrients.

In ecological classifications, consumers are divided into different levels based on their diet. Primary consumers, for instance, are herbivores that directly consume producers. Higher-level consumers, like secondary consumers, eat primary consumers, but the initial link in this feeding relationship is always between producers and consumers.

The other options represent different feeding roles within the ecosystem. Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the environment but do not feed on living producers. Predators consume other consumers, typically preying on herbivores or smaller carnivores, while scavengers feed on dead organisms or carrion rather than actively hunting or consuming live producers. This hierarchy and the relationships among these groups illustrate the crucial role of consumers in the energy transfer within ecosystems.