What type of organisms are classified as primary consumers?

Primary consumers are organisms that primarily feed on producers, which are typically plants or plant-like organisms that can convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. This makes herbivores the most common type of primary consumers, as they exclusively consume plant material. In addition to herbivores, omnivores that also consume plant matter qualify as primary consumers, since they obtain energy by consuming producers.

Carnivores, on the other hand, are classified as secondary or tertiary consumers, as they feed on other consumers. Producers are at the base of the food chain and are not classified as consumers. Decomposers play a critical role in breaking down dead organic material and recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, but they do not consume living plants or other organisms in the way that primary consumers do. Therefore, the most accurate classification of primary consumers includes both herbivores and omnivores that eat producers.