What term describes the process of individuals moving into a population?

The term that describes individuals moving into a population is immigration. This process refers specifically to the arrival of new individuals from outside a different population or region, contributing to the growth and genetic diversity of the population they join.

When individuals immigrate, they can bring new traits and variations to the population, which can have significant effects on its dynamics, such as increasing the overall size, altering genetic diversity, and potentially impacting social structures. Immigration can be influenced by various factors, including availability of resources, changes in the environment, or social factors like seeking better living conditions.

Understanding immigration is crucial in the context of population studies and ecology, as it interacts with other processes such as emigration (individuals leaving a population), which affects overall population stability and health.