This piece was originally published in The Guardian and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. One of only two remaining populations of an “ecosystem engineer” truffle-eating marsupial found in Queensland is much smaller than originally thought and could be declining further, according to new research. Scientists studying northern bettongs on the Mount Carbine Tableland in northeastern Queensland have estimated the number of animals in that location is fewer than 50, sparking concerns about the viability of that population, even in the short term. Northern bettongs have suffered…