Table 3 Summary table showing properties of different habitat metrics that are recommended for characterization of coral-reef habitats.

From: 3D assessment of a coral reef at Lalo Atoll reveals varying responses of habitat metrics following a catastrophic hurricane

3D habitat metric

Resolution

Statistic

Suited to capture

Supporting references

Original references

Surface complexity

1 cm

N/A

Overall changes in 3D surface area relative to 2D planar area

22, present study

23

Slope

1 cm

Mean

Overall changes in vertical relief (including loss of tabulate and mounding corals)

22,29, present study

24,25

Vector ruggedness measurement (VRM)

1 or 2 cm

Mean

Structural complexity of branching, encrusting corals, and rubble

28,29, present study

25,26

 

4 cm

Mean

Structural complexity of mounding and tabulate corals

28,29, present study

 

Profile and planform curvature

1 cm

Range/Variance

Holes and ledges, including the "drops" created by tabulate corals

29, present study

27

Fractal dimension

1–8 or 16 cm for corals, but range is case dependent

N/A

Overall structural complexity of corals and crustose coralline algae

22,28,29

34,35

  1. Listed are the recommended habitat metrics and resolutions, statistic (n/a means that there is only a single value produced per DEM), suitable benthic features to capture, references that support this recommendation, and original references of each metric.
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