Give examples of second-order consumers in the biosphere.

Producers are usually plants, first-order consumers consume producers, second-order consumers eat first-order consumers, and third-order consumers consume second-order consumers. For example, a tree is a producer, it produces acorns that other organisms such as squirrels can feed on. Squirrel is a first-order consumer because it will consume acorns for energy. However, our squirrel has an unsuccessful meeting with a snake, which then eats it – this makes the snake a consumer of the second order, because it withdraws energy from the consumer of the first order. Finally, the hawk swoops in and then eats the snake – the hawk receives energy from a second tier consumer, making it a third tier consumer.