Which of the following contributes to the study of paleoecology?

The study of paleoecology involves understanding the relationships and interactions between ancient organisms and their environments. One of the primary methods to achieve this is through the examination of geological records. Geological records provide crucial information about past climates, sedimentary environments, and biological communities. They include fossils, stratigraphy, and chemical signatures that reveal how ecosystems were structured and how they changed over time.

This historical data is essential for paleoecologists to reconstruct past ecosystems and understand how they responded to environmental changes. Analyzing the geological records enables researchers to piece together the ecological dynamics of former times, which helps in understanding current ecological challenges.

Other options, while related to ecological studies in their own right, do not specifically contribute to paleoecology in the same direct manner as geological records do. For instance, examining modern farming techniques or current wildlife populations pertains more to contemporary ecology rather than the study of ancient environments. Observations of distant planets are relevant to astrobiology but do not provide insights into Earth's historical ecological contexts.