Final answer:
In ecosystems, there are fewer tertiary consumers compared to primary consumers because tertiary consumers are carnivores that eat other carnivores.
Step-by-step explanation:
In many ecosystems, the bottom of the food chain consists of photosynthetic organisms (plants or phytoplankton), which are called producers. The organisms that consume the producers are herbivores: the primary consumers. Secondary consumers are usually carnivores that eat the primary consumers. Tertiary consumers are carnivores that eat other carnivores.