A trophic level indicates the position of an organism in the food chain or food web, reflecting its role in energy transfer. Levels are typically categorized as producers (autotrophs), primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and so forth. Each trophic level represents a step in the flow of energy from one organism to another. Understanding trophic levels helps ecologists analyze ecosystem dynamics and assess the impacts of removing or adding species within various environments.