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Is it basically anything a model can stand on? For example,

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/11/25/298751-Aquilla,%20Battle%20For%20Macragge,%20Lander,%20Reassembled%20Aquila,%20Shuttle,%20Terrain.jpg

Would it count for ruins only? Or can that be area terrain? Thanks a lot.

Area terrain is anything you and your opponent agree to but generally it consists of a piece that models can fit onto. This can be represented by a piece of cloth, a piece of foam board with things glued to it, a GW mass produced piece, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

Ruins are something else entirely. While the bottom level of a ruin can be area terrain the rest is not.

Whatever you agree between you as Area terrain, IS area terrain

Somethings, such as Ruins, are not area terrain unless they have a base, in which case the ground floor is area terrain as well as being a Ruin

What the others said. It all comes down to what you and your opponent agree to.

For your example, I'd most likely treat it as Wreckage and Area Terrain.

Excellent, thanks a lot for the quick replies.

As a general rule, you can expect to treat things like forests, swamps, craters, the ground floor of based ruins and basically anything else with a base. A notable exception to this is a river, even though it has a base the vast majority of people wouldn't count it as area terrain.

usually its something that has a base and is an object that models can walk on. An exception is Ruins, which are not area terrain on the upper levels, and ground level is only area terrain if it has a base. it they are freestanding walls there is no area terrain.

Whatever the players agree on/TO says.

Forests are generally the best example of area terrain. As others have said, it's entirely up to you and your opponent how you define the terrain pieces on the board. One suggestion to keep in mind, area terrain is cool and all but it I would point out that too much can make the game pretty boring, I generally find low cover (low walls) to be a better choice for tactical play, for the simple fact that you can actually try and flank it, area terrain is just a magical bubble of cover and in 6th ed where context (direction of firer) is more important when it comes to wounding area terrain feels very old. Still, it's the only way to play forests without drastically slowing things down and overcomplicating things.

The bottom line is that all terrain is what you and your opponent agree on it to be.

That green peice of felt could be area terrain that provides 5+ cover.
The blue painted disc could be a pool of Ice blood.
That ruined one story building could be a ruin providing 4+ cover.

It's what ever you want it to be. You can even decide that certain things provide better cover than what the book says. It one of the purely subjective areas of the rules.

While the rules do indeed define ruins as area terrain (pg 91) and that the area terrain known as ruins provide a 4+ coversave, you don't have to give the 4+ cover if you don't want. You could easily state that the higher that you go up the lower (or higher) the coversave.

You could easily play a peice of terrain that incorporates several different features, each giving a different cover.

Just have fun and decide with your opponent. Terrain is almost purely subjective.

What you call bunker, someone lest might call a ruin.

Your photo example is a perfect example. I never would have thought to classify that as ruins, but hey, if it works for you...go ahead.