Question

drag the labels signifying different consumer levels onto this diagram showing part of a food web. not all labels will be used.

• pc = primary consumer
• sc = secondary consumer
• tc = tertiary consumer
• qc = quaternary consumer

plant leaves, seeds, and fruits
grasshoppers
spiders
shrews
mockingbirds
red - tailed hawks

Explanation:

1. a (grasshoppers): Grasshoppers eat producers (plant material), so they are primary consumers (PC).
2. b (spiders): Spiders eat grasshoppers (primary consumers), making them secondary consumers (SC).
3. c (shrews): Shrews eat both grasshoppers (PC) and spiders (SC), so they act as both secondary and tertiary consumers (SC and TC).
4. d (mockingbirds): Mockingbirds eat plant material (producers, making them PC) and spiders (SC, making them TC), so they are primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers (PC, SC, and TC).
5. e (red-tailed hawks): Hawks eat shrews (SC/TC) and mockingbirds (PC/SC/TC), placing them as tertiary and quaternary consumers (TC and QC).

Answer:

a. PC
b. SC
c. SC and TC
d. PC, SC, and TC
e. TC and QC