Final answer:
Higher food consumption decreases the net production efficiency (NPE) in warm-blooded animals because a significant amount of energy from food is expended on heat production and metabolic processes, rather than being converted into biomass.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between the amount of food consumed and the net production efficiency (NPE) in warm-blooded animals (endotherms) is that higher food consumption generally correlates with a decrease in NPE. In endotherms, a significant portion of the energy obtained from consumed food is used for maintaining body temperature and other metabolic processes, making it less efficient at converting this energy into biomass when compared to ectotherms (cold-blooded animals).
Warm-blooded animals need to eat more often than ectotherms to obtain the necessary energy to fuel their metabolic needs and to maintain a constant weight, especially in colder environments. Therefore, although consuming more food provides more energy, this does not equate to a higher NPE, because much of this energy is expended as heat rather than being converted into biomass.
Consequently, the correct answer to the student's question is b) Higher food consumption decreases NPE.