## 5 Conclusions  
Using the flux observation data from natural (HK) and restored (PYR) mangrove ecosystems, we elucidate the differential response mechanisms of carbon flux components in restored and natural mangrove ecosystems to storm surge disturbances, emphasizing the critical role of site-specific environmental sensitivity and ecosystem structure. The differential responses of natural (HK) and restored (PYR) mangrove ecosystems to storm surges reveal critical insights into the resilience and vulnerability of coastal carbon sinks under extreme climatic events. The natural HK site, subject to more intense storm impacts, exhibited pronounced disruptions in GPP, Reco, and CH4 flux, alongside a weakening of key carbon-environment interactions. In contrast, the restored PYR site demonstrated a relatively buffered response, particularly in CH4 fluxes. GPP was primarily driven by PPFD, with RH and VPD exerting significant negative controls, while TA indirectly influenced GPP via modulation of VPD. Reco was regulated by direct effects from TA, RH, TS, and WTD, with their relative importance shifting under storm conditions. CH4 flux responded variably across sites, with RH and TA emerging as key drivers at the PYR and HK sites,respectively. NEE dynamics were governed predominantly by the direct contributions of GPP and Reco, with other variables exerting influence indirectly. Post-storm observations revealed partial recovery in both sites, but neither returned fully to pre-disturbance flux conditions within 14 days. Collectively, these findings underscore the complex regulation of carbon fluxes in mangrove ecosystems under extreme climatic events. The differential responses between natural and restored forests underscore the need to consider species traits, canopy structure, and hydrological conditions in restoration planning. Long-term monitoring of restored sites is essential to assess their functional convergence with natural systems. Future research should extend to post-disturbance recovery of CO\({}_{2}\) and CH\({}_{4}\) fluxes and broaden the spatial scale to improve carbon modeling under climate change.  
Conceptualization, H.Z.; data curation, H.Z.; formal analysis, H.Z.; investigation, H.Z.; methodology, H.Z.; validation, H.Z.; visualization, H.Z. and Z.X.; writing--original draft, H.Z.; writing--review and editing, H.Z., J.Z., Z.T., Z.C. and W.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by Key Research and Development Program of Hainan Province (Research and Application of Key Technologies for Space-Air-Ground-Sea Integrated Monitoring of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, No. ZDYF2023 GXJS023), Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund (No. SOLZSKY2025008), and China Oceanic Development Foundation, Key Laboratory of Marine Spatial Planning Technology (KLMSP) (No. G6240 QT08).  
All data are from publicly available sources. The flux data of restored mangrove in Pingyang is from [PERSON] et al. (2024) [14], available for download via [[https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065)]([https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065)) (accessed on 28 August 2024). The flux data of natural mangrove in Hong Kong is from FLUXNET2015 ([[http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org](http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org)]([http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org](http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org)), accessed on 4 December 2023).  
We acknowledge the public data from [PERSON] et al. (2024) [14] ([[https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065)]([https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11277065)), accessed on 28 August 2024) and FLUXNET2015 ([[http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org](http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org)]([http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org](http://fluxcat.fluxdata.org)), accessed on 4 December 2023).  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.