Previous research has conducted extensive work on sediment grain size testing, data analysis, and information extraction. However, studies on whether the collected sediment samples are representative are still relatively rare. Based on indicators such as the mode, median grain size, particle size distribution, sediment type, and grain size parameters, this study compared and analyzed the quantitative and qualitative results of the grain size distribution parameters of 30 parallel sediment samples collected from beaches in the southern part of Leizhou Peninsula, China. The study examined the differences, correlations, and consistencies of these parameters. The results showed that: (1) the mode, median grain size, and particle size distribution of parallel samples exhibited a certain degree of variability; (2) the skewness and kurtosis of parallel samples showed significant differences, with average values of P1 ranging from –2.90 to –1.53 and 11.23 to 21.59, P2 ranging from –2.55 to –1.52 and 11.23 to 21.59, and P3 ranging from –2.81 to –1.86 and 13.41 to 27.69; (3) about two-thirds of the combinations of grain size parameters had no correlation (R2 ≤ 0.29); (4) qualitative results of sorting coefficients, skewness, and kurtosis showed differences in 1/3, 1/2, and 4/15 of the cases, respectively. The spatial heterogeneity of sediment grain size distribution information and the randomness of sample collection are the main reasons for these differences. To minimize the randomness of sample collection and characterize the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of grain size distribution information, parallel samples are recommended for future sample collection. This study provides a typical case of comparing the results of parallel sample grain size parameters for beach sediment, which can improve our understanding of effective sediment sample collection strategies.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |