Autumn paints Poland’s Bieszczady Mountains: NASA science captures forests turning gold

A seasonal shift from space

NASA’s Operational Land Imager aboard the NASA-USGS Landsat 9 satellite recorded the scene in southeast Poland on October 8, 2026. The image shows fall color across the forested slopes of Bieszczady National Park.

European beech is the dominant tree in the area, with sycamore maple also adding autumn color. As temperatures fall and daylight decreases, trees produce less chlorophyll, revealing other pigments in their leaves.

Forests give way to meadows

European beech forests have spread across Europe since glaciers retreated, advancing from refuges that included the Carpathians and Alps. Parts of Bieszczady National Park belong to UNESCO’s network of ancient and primeval beech forests across 18 countries.

In this area, beech forests reach elevations of about 1,000 to 1,260 meters. Above them, polonina—subalpine meadow—includes open grassland and thickets of rowan, willows and green alder; patches on ridge tops east-southeast of Smerek appeared tan after losing their summer green.

Wildlife in the Carpathians

Bieszczady’s forests and mountain meadows also provide habitat for notable wildlife. Brown bears forage in the Carpathian Mountains as they prepare for winter hibernation. European bison were reintroduced to the area in the 1960s after becoming extinct in the wild, and recent surveys report hundreds roaming the hills. Brown bears and Eurasian lynx also find refuge and food in the forests.