Genetically engineered plants (GEPs) have been planted on large scale so far in many countries, which attracts increasing attention to the ecological risks brought about by the release of GEPs.
    It may potentially create changes of long-team environmental effects when GEPs are introduced into ecosystems. Through genetic engineering, GEPs may potentially create changes that enhance an organism's ability to become aggressive weeds or invasive in natural habitats. They are possible to spread wildly in ecosystems and to cause unintended degradation of natural ecosystem. By pollen transfer or other ways, the introgression of transgene into natural related species might occur. Gene flows among GEPs and their wild relatives are also a potential invasive risk. As lots of transgene disperse into wild gene pool, they may produce harmful effects on the genetic diversities of their wild relatives.
    Transgene proteins with pesticidal properties, such as Bacillus thringensis (Bt) toxin, may have both direct and indirect effects on populations of nontarget organisms. To some degree, transgene protein might transfer from host plants to non-target pest or from non-target pests to natural enemies.
    Insect-resistant transgenic plants play a great role in integrated pest management. However, pests could develop resistance to insect-resistant transgenic plants, and then decrease the effects and application value of insect-resistant transgenic plants against pests.
    In this paper, the ecological risks of GEPs and recent works in this area are reviewed, including risk of invasiveness, direct and indirect non-target effects on beneficial organism, and resistance of insect pests to transgenic plants and new viral disease. Some strategies of the ecological risks assessment are also proposed.