Priority effects transcend scales and disciplines in biology

The effects of species on one another sometimes depend on the order in which they arrive at a local site. This historical contingency, termed priority effects, can have a major influence on the assembly and functioning of ecological communities.Although historically studied within community ecology, phenomena consistent with priority effects appear in a variety of biological scenarios and across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, but are referred to by many different but related terms.There exists a fragmented communication landscape between studies of priority effects across these disparate biological subfields, which is stifling a conceptual unification of how, when, and why priority effects occur.Our review provides a launchpad for developing a unified framework across a broad range of ecological contexts. Although primarily studied through the lens of community ecology, phenomena consistent with priority effects appear to be widespread across many different scenarios spanning a broad range of spatial, temporal, and biological scales. However, communication between these research fields is inconsistent and has resulted in a fragmented co-citation landscape, likely due to the diversity of terms used to refer to priority effects across these fields. We review these related terms, and the biological contexts in which they are used, to facilitate greater cross-disciplinary cohesion in research on priority effects. In breaking down these semantic barriers, we aim to provide a framework to better understand the conditions and mechanisms of priority effects, and their consequences across spatial and temporal scales. Although primarily studied through the lens of community ecology, phenomena consistent with priority effects appear to be widespread across many different scenarios spanning a broad range of spatial, temporal, and biological scales. However, communication between these research fields is inconsistent and has resulted in a fragmented co-citation landscape, likely due to the diversity of terms used to refer to priority effects across these fields. We review these related terms, and the biological contexts in which they are used, to facilitate greater cross-disciplinary cohesion in research on priority effects. In breaking down these semantic barriers, we aim to provide a framework to better understand the conditions and mechanisms of priority effects, and their consequences across spatial and temporal scales.