Look at the food web in the figure to the right. What is the role of mice in this ecosystem?

• A. Decomposer
• B. Producer
• C. Primary consumer
• D. Apex predator

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Examine the food web provided in the figure to identify the relationships between organisms. A food web shows how energy flows through an ecosystem, connecting producers, consumers, and decomposers.
2. Understand the definitions of the roles in the ecosystem: Producers are organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis (e.g., plants). Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers. Decomposers break down dead organic matter, and apex predators are at the top of the food chain, consuming other organisms without being preyed upon.
3. Locate the mice in the food web and identify what they consume. If mice are eating plants or seeds, they are acting as primary consumers because they are directly consuming producers.
4. Verify that mice are not producing their own food (which would make them producers), breaking down dead matter (which would make them decomposers), or at the top of the food chain (which would make them apex predators).
5. Conclude that mice are primary consumers based on their role in the food web, as they feed on producers and are preyed upon by higher-level consumers.