The total mass of consumers is largely determined by the total mass of food made available by the producers.

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In an ecosystem, the total mass of consumers (secondary and tertiary levels) is largely determined by the total mass of food (biomass) produced by the primary producers (like plants and algae) through photosynthesis. This relationship is governed by the principles of energy transfer and trophic efficiency, where only a fraction of the energy (and thus biomass) is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

The Total Mass of Consumers Is Largely Determined by the Total