Final answer:
Animals cannot consume nitrates directly and must obtain nitrogen from plants or other herbivore animals, which makes the statement true.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plants must obtain nitrogen in the form of compounds such as nitrates, which they can absorb through their roots. Animals, on the other hand, cannot consume nitrates directly and must obtain nitrogen from plants or other herbivore animals that have already processed the nitrogen. This is because animals lack the necessary enzymes to convert nitrates into usable nitrogen compounds. Therefore, the statement is true.