Adaptive management of mountain ecosystems based on carbon sequestration: Based on the “state-flow-utility” framework

[Display omitted] •Ecosystem service flows shift ecological static management to dynamic process management.•Establish a raster-scale carbon sequestration service flow model.•Attention to the impact of coordinated inter-regional development on overall sustainable development.•Propose ecological development policies based on the utility of regional carbon sequestration. Excessive carbon emissions and the destruction of vegetation caused by human activities threaten the carbon balance and ecosystem security. Carbon sequestration flow (CSF) becomes a necessary carbon exchange between socio-ecological systems. Thus, assessing the utility of carbon sequestration (CS) based on CSF iscrucial for adaptive management.We establish a process-oriented CSFmodeland evaluate the utility of CS around self-sufficiency, cross-regional synergy, and ecological carrying capacity to explore ecological development models. The findings indicate that CSsupply is satisfactory, butdemandfor CS is increasing. The western section of the Qinling mountains exhibits high self-sufficiency and ecological carrying capacitybut poor cross-regional synergy.The central regionhas moderate self-sufficiency and favorable cross-regional synergy and facesthreats toecological carrying capacity. Henan faces lower self-sufficiency and cross-regional synergy, and the ecological carrying capacity is loaded. Furthermore, wepropose adaptive strategies for ecological development models that are significantfor ecological zoning management.