Editor’s note: This video highlights areas of autumn color in the Russian Far East. The image was acquired on October 12, 2021, with the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. The following text is a transcript of the video.
Primorsky Krai, in the Russian Far East, displays some of the planet’s most striking fall color.The season of change here is so brilliant, it has been called “the golden far eastern autumn.”
The following images show an area between the Sikhote-Alin mountain range and the Sea of Japan.The climate here—moderate temperatures and maritime moisture—helps promote forested landscapes rich in diversity.
Skies in autumn are often clear enough for satellites to view the oranges, yellows, and greens of the forest.Here are five highlights of the region’s colorful palette, as observed by Landsat in October 2021.
The Sikhote-Alin
These relatively low-elevation mountain ranges run parallel to the Sea of Japan for hundreds of kilometers.Most areas above 1,000 meters elevation are densely forested with green conifers like cedar, fir, and spruce.
Zov Tigra National Park
Some of the mountain range’s highest peaks are located in Zov Tigra National Park.Established in 2007, the park provides diverse forest habitat for the endangered Amur tiger.
Lazovsky Nature Reserve
The Lazovsky Nature Reserve spans more than 1,200 square kilometers from the slopes of the Sikhote-Alin to the Sea of Japan.Forests at middle elevations contain both conifers and colorful broadleaf trees such as white birch, aspen, eucalyptus, and maple.
Milogradovka River
Rivers like the Milogradovka flow from the eastern slopes of the Sikhote-Alin toward the sea.Trees along these lower elevations are mostly broadleaf, especially oak. However, there are exceptionsâ¦
Olga Bay
Named for the nearby bay, the Olga Bay larch is rare across Russia but more common along coastal Primorsky Krai.Unlike most conifers, this tree drops all of its needles each autumn, contributing to the seasonal orange-yellow color.New needles will grow in the spring.
References & Resources
- Britannica Sikhote-Alin. Accessed October 18, 2021.
- Hu Y. and Hu Y. (2020) Detecting Forest Disturbance and Recovery in Primorsky Krai, Russia, Using Annual Landsat Time Series and Multi-Source Land Cover Products. Remote Sensing, 12 (1).
- PeakVisor Sikhote-Alin Mountains. Accessed October 18, 2021.
- UNESCO Central Sikhote-Alin. Accessed October 18, 2021.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum Horticultural Garden Notes: Collection Inventory, Fall Color and Hardy Larches, and Volunteers Power Through. Accessed October 21, 2021.
- Wikipedia Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests. Accessed October 18, 2021.
- World Resources Institute (2006) Mapping High ConservationValue Forests of Primorsky Kray, Russian Far East. Accessed October 18, 2021.
