The Wildlife Web I

Episode 9

(producers and herbivores) In the first segment, Patrice looks at how plants make food and at how and plants and plant eating animals depend on each other. Next, she and Dave examine an area and discuss the how the plants found there could provide food for moose and other herbivores. In segment three, we take an up-close look at the moose and its habitat. Finally, Olivia and Michael visit with Professor Brent Loy, who is producing melons that grow more quickly, bigger and sweeter.

The Wildlife Web I - Producers and Consumers

Plants, ya gotta love ’em. They give you the energy you need to get through the day. Think about all the plants you eat. Where do they get the energy they need to get through the day and grow?
Plants need energy to survive just like you, but they get their energy directly from the sun. Plants are producers. Producers are living things that can make their own food using air, light, soil, and water.

Plants use a process called photosynthesis to make food. Only plants can produce their own food. That’s why they are called producers.

Animals that eat only plants are called herbivores. Herbivores are consumers because they eat plants to survive. Deer, grasshoppers, and rabbits are all consumers.