How the invasive/ keystone species directly effects at least 3 other species within the community.

My invasive species: west indian mongoose
My keystone species: hummingbird
My biome: tropical rainforest

To understand how the invasive species (west Indian mongoose) directly affects at least three other species within your tropical rainforest community, we need to consider the ecological interactions between species.

1. Impact on Native Birds: The mongoose, being a predator, can have a significant impact on native bird populations. It primarily preys on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, posing a direct threat to species like certain ground-dwelling or low-nesting birds found in the tropical rainforest. This predation can decrease the population size of these native birds and disrupt their natural nesting patterns, potentially leading to local extinctions.

2. Competition with Native Mammals: The mongoose is also known to compete with native mammal species for resources such as food and habitat. In a tropical rainforest, this competition can negatively affect small mammals like tree mice, causing a decline in their population numbers. The mongoose's presence can lead to decreased availability of prey, increased competition for shelter, or even direct aggression towards native mammal species.

3. Disruption of Pollination: The keystone species in this case is the hummingbird, which plays a vital role in pollinating various plants within the tropical rainforest. However, the presence of the mongoose can indirectly impact the hummingbird population. As ground predators, mongooses are known to raid bird nests, potentially increasing predation pressure and causing stress on hummingbird populations. This disturbance may lead to decreased interactions between hummingbirds and certain plant species, subsequently affecting pollination.

To specifically study the impact of the mongoose on the hummingbird and other species in your tropical rainforest biome, you could refer to scientific literature, research articles, or conduct ecological field studies. These sources will provide more specific data, examples, and insights into the direct and indirect effects of the mongoose on the identified species within your community.