Mapping Functional Indicators for Evaluating Mangrove Rehabilitation Effectiveness: A Systematic Literature Review

Mangrove rehabilitation is increasingly implemented to restore degraded coastal ecosystems, yet most evaluations remain dominated by structural indicators such as canopy cover or seedling survival. This study conducts a systematic literature review under the PRISMA 2020 protocol to identify and classify functional indicators used in mangrove rehabilitation assessments. From 55 Scopus‐indexed publications, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria, yielding 82 functional indicators. These indicators were grouped into 12 categories, with carbon emerging as the most dominant, particularly carbon sequestration and soil organic carbon. In contrast, other functional dimensions such as trophic interactions, microbial processes, and socio‐cultural services remain underexplored. This imbalance indicates that current monitoring approaches still emphasise structural and conceptual aspects rather than functional recovery. The study highlights the need to integrate functional indicators into rehabilitation monitoring to comprehensively capture ecosystem processes, resilience, and socioeconomic benefits. The findings provide a scientific basis for developing holistic evaluation approaches and guiding sustainable mangrove management, while also offering comparative insights relevant to the Southern Hemisphere context, where mangroves play critical ecological roles.