Physical principles and laws determine the set of possible organismal phenotypes. Constraints arising from development, the environment, and evolutionary history then yield workable, integrated phenotypes. We propose a theoretical and practical framework that considers the role of changing environments. This ‘ecomechanical approach’ integrates functional organismal traits with the ecological variables. This approach informs our ability to predict species shifts in survival and distribution and provides critical insights into phenotypic diversity. We outline how to use the ecomechanical paradigm using drag-induced bending in trees as an example. Our approach can be incorporated into existing research and help build interdisciplinary bridges. Finally, we identify key factors needed for mass data collection, analysis, and the dissemination of models relevant to this framework.

物理原理和定律决定了一组可能的有机体表型。由发展、环境和进化史产生的限制会产生可行的、综合的表型。我们提出了一个理论和实践框架，考虑了不断变化的环境的作用。这种“生态力学方法”将功能性有机体特征与生态变量相结合。这种方法使我们能够预测物种生存和分布的变化，并提供对表型多样性的重要见解。我们以树木的阻力引起的弯曲为例，概述了如何使用生态力学范式。我们的方法可以纳入现有研究并帮助建立跨学科桥梁。最后，我们确定了海量数据收集、分析所需的关键因素，