How do consumers obtain the carbon that they need for their life processes? They breathe it in from the surrounding air.
They break down the plants and animals they eat.
They absorb it from the surrounding soil.
They absorb it from water through their pores.

Explanation:

They break down the plants and animals they eat

this is because, plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere to grow in the process of photosynthesis, then consumers obtain their food from plants hence obtaining carbon

materials water oxygen those are the things i can think of in this moment.