TERRASTOCK: an open-source information system to centralize, enrich and valorize biodiversity monitoring data.

Abstract

The increasing proliferation of biodiversity monitoring protocols, along with the growing use of novel tracking technologies, is generating ever larger and more heterogeneous field datasets – including images, videos, audio recordings, genetic data – whose management remains fragmented, time-consuming and underexploited. Invasive alien species (IAS) are a key focus of these techniques, in order to enhance the detection of newly introduced species with high invasion risk. In this context of a global data volume surge, organizations responsible for biodiversity monitoring and data management face a structural challenge : how to efficiently store, process, and leverage dispersed data ? To address this tangible need, the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) is developing TERRASTOCK, a centralized, scalable and secured data warehouse specifically designed for biodiversity observation data. TERRASTOCK is built on a flexible microservices architecture capable of ingesting raw field data in their native formats, without requiring prior harmonization. Beyond storage, the platform natively integrates computational capabilities for AI-based processing – including automated species classification (e.g., DeepFaune, SpeciesNet, Pl@ntNet) and image interpretation – combined with human annotation, indexation, visualization, and data dissemination features. Outputs such as georeferenced species occurrence data can be exported to GBIF, with an alert system enabling early warning of a newly detected alien species within a given territory. TERRASTOCK aims to streamline and accelerate data processing pipelines, facilitate data access for both field agents and external partners, and lay the foundations for a modern, interoperable infrastructure compatible with existing professional tools. As a pioneering project within OFB, TERRASTOCK is being developed according to cloud-native, open-source and cloud-agnostic principles, with a modular and container-based architecture. The platform ultimately aspires to become a shared infrastructure accessible to external partners, fostering a collaborative community around a tool dedicated to biodiversity monitoring. Current tests are being conducted on images of plant species captured by cameras mounted on vehicles traveling along roads. These data originate from field collection carried out through the pilot study on IAS of the BIODIVERSA+ European partnership, using the CamAlien device, which is also deployed for the OneStop project. Such inventories of invasive alien plants are valuable for designing management strategies aimed at preventing their spread. In a world where AI applied to biodiversity is rapidly expanding, TERRASTOCK represents a practical lever for modernizing information systems, reducing manual data processing workloads, and maximizing the value of field collected data.