Is the plant in a food chain known as a provider or producer or are are both acceptable?
-
I've heard both, but "producer" is much more common, since plants "produce" the organic molecules used as food by the rest of the food chain. "Provider" is less common, because animals can "provide" food for trophic levels above them; they just can't "produce" them...
-
I'm pretty sure everything but the top predator is a provider, whereas only plants and bacteria can actually produce their own energy. Others just obtain it, use some of it and then pass on what's left when they die.
-
Provider- As it's always first in the food chain.