The correct answer is: D. Herbivores
A pyramid of numbers is a graphical representation of the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain. The base of the pyramid is the largest, representing the producers, which are the organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis. The next level up is the primary consumers, which are the herbivores that eat the producers. The next level up is the secondary consumers, which are the carnivores that eat the herbivores. The top level is the tertiary consumers, which are the carnivores that eat the secondary consumers.
In a grassland ecosystem, the producers are the grasses and other plants. The primary consumers are the herbivores, which eat the grasses. The secondary consumers are the carnivores, which eat the herbivores. The tertiary consumers are the top predators, which eat the secondary consumers.
The largest population in a grassland ecosystem is the population of herbivores. This is because there are many more grasses than there are herbivores, and there are many more herbivores than there are carnivores. The population of tertiary consumers is the smallest, because there are very few top predators.
Here is a more detailed explanation of each option:
- Producers are the organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis. They are the base of the food chain and the largest population in a grassland ecosystem.
- Primary consumers are the herbivores that eat the producers. They are the next level up in the food chain and the second largest population in a grassland ecosystem.
- Secondary consumers are the carnivores that eat the herbivores. They are the next level up in the food chain and the third largest population in a grassland ecosystem.
- Tertiary consumers are the top predators that eat the secondary consumers. They are the top level of the food chain and the smallest population in a grassland ecosystem.