Arrange the following in the increasing order of percentage of net primary productivity consumed by herbivores: (A) Phytoplanktonic communities (B) Tropical Rainforests (C) Mangroves (D) Grasslands
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is B

Explanation:
Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is the rate at which plants store energy as biomass after respiration. The percentage of NPP consumed by herbivores varies by ecosystem:
· (C) Mangroves: Very low consumption by herbivores due to tannins and tough leaf structure.
· (B) Tropical Rainforests: Dense biomass but most NPP goes to detritus, not direct herbivory.
· (D) Grasslands: High herbivore activity (e.g., grazing animals), moderate-to-high NPP consumption.
· (A) Phytoplanktonic communities: Very high consumption by zooplankton and other aquatic herbivores; nearly all NPP is used up quickly.
Information Booster:
· Phytoplankton are at the base of aquatic food chains and are consumed rapidly by zooplankton.
· Grasslands support large herbivore populations (e.g., bison, deer, cattle).
· Rainforests, despite their biomass, have much of their productivity decomposed rather than grazed.
· Mangroves are largely detritus-based ecosystems with low grazing pressure.