Consumption is when something is eaten. A consumer is something that eats. In schoolyard ecosystems, some animals and insects eat plants. They are called herbivores. Some animals and insects eat other animals and insects. They are called carnivores. Consumption is how animals and insects get their food so they can live and grow.

Common consumers in a schoolyard ecosystem are:

• chipmunk
• red squirrel
• raccoon
• robin
• European starling
• crow
• rock dove (pigeon)
• toad
• ground beetle
• black ant
• grasshopper