Rugosity
Rugosity is a measure of the roughness or irregularity of a surface, derived from the Latin rugosus meaning wrinkled. In scientific contexts, it describes surface texture or complexity and is typically expressed as a dimensionless ratio: the actual surface area divided by the projected planar area that bounds the surface. A perfectly flat plane has rugosity 1.0; more complex topographies yield higher values.
Measurement methods vary. A common field method is the chain-and-tape technique, where a chain of known length
Rugosity has broad applications. In ecology, it is used to quantify habitat complexity on coral reefs, rocky
Related concepts include surface roughness and habitat complexity. Rugosity serves as a concise metric linking physical