NASA's Landsat 9 satellite has captured imagery of the seasonal transformation of forests and subalpine meadows in Poland's Bieszczady National Park.

On October 8, 2026, the Operational Land Imager on the NASA-USGS Landsat 9 satellite captured an image of the Bieszczady National Park in southeast Poland. The imagery shows the seasonal shift as deciduous trees, primarily European beech, transition to autumn colors. This transformation occurs as dropping temperatures and shorter days cause trees to reduce chlorophyll production, revealing underlying pigments.

Forest Composition and Elevation

The Bieszczady Mountains are dominated by European beech, with sycamore maple also contributing to the autumn display. These forests are part of a UNESCO network of ancient and primeval beech forests that span 18 countries. The forests typically grow at elevations between 1,000 and 1,260 meters. Above the forest line lies the polonina, a Slavic term for subalpine meadows. These areas consist of open grasslands and shrubby thickets of rowan, willows, and green alder. In the captured imagery, these patches appear tan as they lose their summer greenness.

Wildlife and Historical Context

The Bieszczady region serves as a habitat for various wildlife species, including brown bears, which forage to prepare for winter hibernation. The area is also home to Eurasian lynx and European bison. The bison population, which had previously gone extinct in the wild, was reintroduced to the region in the 1960s and now numbers in the hundreds. European beech trees have a long history in the region, having spread northward from refugia in the Carpathians and Alps following the retreat of glaciers. They played a significant role in reforesting land that was previously covered by ice.