---
title: "Primary Consumer — AP Enviro Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "A primary consumer is the herbivore that eats producers, sitting at the second trophic level. Learn how it powers food webs and shows up on the AP Enviro exam."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-enviro/key-terms/primary-consumer"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Environmental Science"
---

# Primary Consumer — AP Enviro Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

A primary consumer is an organism that directly feeds on producers (plants or algae) in an ecosystem. They are herbivores that obtain energy by consuming plants.

## Related Study Guides

- [1.11 Food Chains and Food Webs](/ap-enviro/unit-1/food-chains-food-webs/study-guide/4fCgW98LwgSPkma8myW5)

## Review

### Related Terms

- [Producer](/ap-enviro/key-terms/producer): Organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
- Herbivore: An animal that eats only plants for its source of energy.
- [Trophic Level](/ap-enviro/key-terms/trophic-level): The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationship with other organisms.