Chapter 5: geographical information systems for environmental risk assessment and GMO monitoring

The aim of this Chapter is to describe how GIS-based models might be performed and used by risk assessor to support and complement the ERA of GMPs from local scale to landscape level taking into consideration the EFSA Guidance document. Implications for GMO monitoring are also provided. Specifically, two gene types (cry1ab and cry1ac) and two GMPs (poplar an oilseed rape (Brassica napus)) were considered. The risk assessment was investigated for four specific areas of concern indicated in the EFSA Guidance document: i) persistence and invasiveness of the GM plant or its compatible relatives; ii) plant to micro-organisms gene transfer; iii) interactions of the GM plant with target organisms (TOs); iv) interactions of the GM plant with non-target organisms (NTOs).