PRIMARY CONSUMERS: WHAT ARE THEY, EXAMPLES AND IMPORTANCE - BIOLOGY - 2024

The primary or first order consumers are organisms that consume energy producers and nutrients. In ecology, organisms that feed on other organisms are classified as consumers.

Primary consumers differ from other consumers by feeding on producing organisms that make their own food. The energy and nutrients consumed by the primary consumers (on a producer basis) becomes food for secondary consumers who consume primary consumers.

An ecosystem requires a constant recharge of energy based on the fact that energy is lost through life processes, and it is transmitted through the trophic levels of the ecosystem.

Photosynthesis is the method used by plants and algae to convert sunlight into energy, which complements the demand for energy, and the surrounding ecosystems.

Primary consumers are fed through primary producers. But who are the primary producers?

These include plants, algae, and microscopic organisms that capture energy and reclaim nutrients from their surroundings. These are called "autotrophs" because they make their own food.

In short, primary consumers consume primary producers to meet their energy and nutrient needs. Consumer examples can range from a flea to a zebra.

What are the primary consumers?

On land, a large number of mammals, such as cattle, antelope, horses, hippos, and elephants, are examples of primary consumers.

There are undoubtedly other primary consumers on earth, which are much smaller and less exotic. The mouse, the squirrel, and the beetle are examples of primary consumers.

Other levels of the food chain

Within the organic food chain, consumers are categorized into three main groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.

Primary consumers, as has already been said, are those who feed on primary producers.

Secondary consumers

Secondary consumers are mainly carnivores that feed on other animals. Omnivores, which feed on plants and animals, can also be considered secondary consumers.

Tertiary consumers

Tertiary consumers, sometimes known as predators, are at the top of the food chain and are capable of feeding on secondary consumers and primary consumers.

These tertiary consumers may well be completely carnivorous or omnivorous. Human beings are one of the examples of a tertiary consumer.

Examples of primary consumers

1- Ruminants

Such as cows, sheep, giraffes, and goats are primary herbivore consumers. They feed on plant material such as grass, herbs, roots, and branches.

Because the cellulose found in plant cell walls is difficult to break down, ruminants have an adaptive system that allows them to acquire nutrition through fermentation and digestion within four specialized chambers of their stomachs.

Cows graze plant material in a side-to-side motion, moving the feed to a hard area of ​​the skin, and at the top of the mouth (rather than the front of the tooth) called the dental pad.

The chewed food is then directed into the first digestive chamber, the rumen and the reticulum, where the food is mixed with saliva and separated into liquid form and solid mass.

This mass is returned, and later chewed to reduce the size of the food particles as little as possible. Then, it is returned in two chambers, where the fibrous cells are broken by protozoa, bacteria and fungi.

The complexity of the stomach of ruminants demonstrates the difficulties that large animals have in extracting sufficient nutrients from carbohydrates in plants.

However, the volatility of the fatty acids and proteins that are produced as a consequence of this system form an extremely important component in the human diet.

2- Zooplankton

They are microscopic organisms that exist as accumulated organisms suspended in the oceans. Those include protozoa, as well as metazoans (animals) that are in their juvenile stage, such as mollusks and crustaceans.

Most of the organisms that make up zooplankton are heterotrophic, which means that they acquire their nutrients from the carbon produced through photosynthesis. This process is carried out by the primary producers of the oceans that convert inorganic carbon into usable energy.

In addition, almost entirely, zooplankton are the main producers of food through its filtration. In this feeding strategy, the water, which contains phytoplankton, is led to specialized filters; the phytoplankton is filtered and digested.

3- Herbivorous birds

Many species of birds can be carnivorous or omnivorous. These occupy the highest most trophic level of herbivorous birds. However, many birds feed on only fruits, seeds, and cherries, which places them at the primary consumer level within the food pyramid.

Birds, which base their diet on plant matter, often have morphologically adapted beaks that allow them to exploit their food source.

Toucans, parrots and parakeets have extremely strong beaks that help them destroy nuts, and additionally acts as a stabilizing device for climbing large trees and reaching the highest fruits.

Hummingbirds, others of this same species, usually have very small, elongated and pointed bodies that allow them to access the nectar deeper within the flower bodies.

Many canaries, parakeets, and finches have a diet consisting of grains and seeds, so they have a short, hard, and pointed bill. This allows them to collect the seeds with great precision.

Importance in the ecosystem

Through the food chain, and the perfect balance that is maintained between them, there is an ecological well-being that prevents the overpopulation of animals, extinction of pests, and allows the ultimate goal of feeding human beings.

Without an adequate balance, the ecosystem could collapse and cause the decline of all affected species. This would undoubtedly lead to a corrupt and poorly functional food chain.

References

1. Cornell Center for Materials Research. March 5, 2008. February 9, 2012.

   Retrieved and extracted from Biology Dictionary. Dr. Chen. biologydictionary.net.

2. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University: Food Chains and Food Webs

   Marietta College: Ecosystems.