Ozone (0₃) is considered to be a major air pollutant that affects the yields of several sensitive crop species while reducing carbon acquisition by plants and the subsequent allocation of carbon to roots. Ozone concentrations have dramatically increased in some parts of China. Despite the emphasis on research in this area, however, little has been done to study below-ground component responses when shoots are exposed to ozone, even though evidence suggests that ozone can affect roots more than shoots. Since ozone can not penetrate soil, effects on the below-ground system are the indirect results of altered plant processes. Most current research focuses on constant ozone concentrations that are not in accordance with ambient ozone daily changes. This study is therefore initiated to explore the dynamic Ozone exposure effects on potted wheat roots and soil microorganisms, which can better demonstrate the below-ground response to natural dynamic ambient ozone. Three treatments were performed in this study: (1) control regime: very low ozone with a daily average of 4-10 nl•L^-1 (CF); (2) ozone exposure regime: I (OI), low ozone with an 8h average of 75 nl•L^-1; and (3) ozone exposure regime: II (OII), high ozone with an 8h mean 110nl•L^-1. Wheat seedlings were grown either in a water-hydroponic system for root analysis or in soil for soil microbial analysis and exposed to ozone for 75days in a series of replicated experiments. In both of the two environments with ozone exposure, the root biomass and root/shoot ratio are reduced by 18% and 7.7%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. Effects on root activity were also examined as this parameter is an important indicator of wheat’s ability to absorb nutrients. The results show that root activity is significantly reduced by 58% for the low ozone regime and by 90.8% for the high ozone regime. We also studied the effects of ozone on rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil microorganisms. It is demonstrated that low ozone (OI) concentrations can appreciably increase microbial carbon, while high ozone (OII) concentrations cause rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil microbial biomass carbon to decrease by 9.3% and 5.3%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. Microbial diversity was studied using sole-carbon-source-utilization (BIOLOG). In the BIOLOG assays, the average well color development (AWCD) and the richness and diversity indices indicate differences in microbial activity and diversity. The AWCD and both of the indices for rhizosphere soil microorganisms are higher than those in nonrhizosphere soil both in the control and ozone treatments. Ozone largely reduces the AWCD of rhizosphere soil microorganisms, while it has little influence on the nonrhizosphere soil microbial AWCD. The richness and diversity indices of both the rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil microorganisms in ozone exposure regime I have no difference compared to the control regime. While ozone exposure regime II remarkably decreases the diversity index in rhizosphere soil microorganisms, it does not have such an effect in nonrhizosphere soil. Although rhizosphere soil microorganisms can be considered more susceptible to ozone than nonrhizosphere soil microorganisms, this may actually be due to the indirect effects of ozone via the reduction of carbon allocation to roots. As a result, root exudation is decreased, forming the carbon and energy sources of rhizosphere soil microorganisms.