Final answer:
A mesopredator is a secondary consumer that typically consumes herbivores and holds a mid-ranking trophic position within a food web, not at the top like apex predators.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mesopredator is a predator that typically occupies a mid-ranking position within a food chain or a food web. They are not at the top like apex consumers, who are the predators with no natural predators of their own. Instead, mesopredators are secondary consumers, which may occasionally be tertiary consumers. They primarily consume herbivores, but they are not exclusively carnivorous and can sometimes be prey for larger predators. Therefore, the correct option is: 3) a predator that is relatively small and consumes herbivores.
Mesopredators play a vital role in the ecosystem by controlling the populations of primary consumers (herbivores), thus helping to maintain a balance within the trophic level. Examples of mesopredators include foxes, coyotes, and raccoons, which eat smaller animals such as rodents and birds but can also fall prey to apex predators.