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Multiple Choice
In a simple food chain consisting of grass, rabbit, snake, and hawk, which organism acts as the primary consumer?
A
Hawk
B
Grass
C
Snake
D
Rabbit
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of a food chain. A food chain represents the flow of energy and nutrients through different organisms in an ecosystem, starting with producers and moving through various levels of consumers.
Step 2: Identify the roles of organisms in a food chain. Producers (like grass) create energy through photosynthesis, primary consumers (like rabbits) eat producers, secondary consumers (like snakes) eat primary consumers, and tertiary consumers (like hawks) eat secondary consumers.
Step 3: Recognize that the primary consumer is the organism that directly consumes the producer. In this food chain, grass is the producer, and the rabbit eats the grass.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. The hawk is a tertiary consumer, the snake is a secondary consumer, and the grass is a producer. None of these fit the definition of a primary consumer.
Step 5: Conclude that the rabbit is the primary consumer because it directly consumes the producer (grass) in this food chain.