Map of the Area Ruggedness Scale (ARS)
![Map of the Area Ruggedness Scale (ARS) Map of the United States showing the six levels of the Area Ruggedness Scale.](/webdocs/charts/108233/fig_1_rugged_terrain_768px.png?v=3754.7)
The intersection of rugged terrain and economic activity remains understudied, so USDA, Economic Research Service researchers developed two classifications of U.S. census tracts: the six-level Area Ruggedness Scale and the five-level Road Ruggedness Scale.
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