Air quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in 4 European and 1 Chinese cities • The lockdown caused a substantial reduction in NO x in all cities (~56%) • Reductions in PM were much higher in Wuhan (~42%) than in Europe (~8%) • The lockdown caused an ozone increase in all cities (17% in Europe, 36% in Wuhan) • The lockdown effect on O 3 production was higher than the weekend effect

Elevated tropospheric ozone concentrations induce adverse effects in plants. We reviewed how ozone affects (i) the composition and diversity of plant communities by affecting key physiological traits; (ii) foliar chemistry and the emission of volatiles, thereby affecting plant-plant competition, plant-insect interactions, and the composition of insect communities; and (iii) plant-soil-microbe interactions and the composition of soil communities by disrupting plant litterfall and altering root exudation, soil enzymatic activities, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. The community composition of soil microbes is consequently changed, and alpha diversity is often reduced. The effects depend on the environment and vary across space and time. We suggest that Atlantic islands in the Northern Hemisphere, the Mediterranean Basin, equatorial Africa, Ethiopia, the Indian coastline, the Himalayan region, southern Asia, and Japan have high endemic richness at high ozone risk by 2100.

The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus, initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness.

a b s t r a c tDespite the high ozone levels measured in China, and in Beijing in particular, reports of ozone-induced visible injury in vegetation are very scarce. Visible injury was investigated on July and August 2013 in the main parks, forest and agricultural areas of Beijing. Ozone injury was widespread in the area, being observed in 28 different species. Symptoms were more frequent in rural areas and mountains from northern Beijing, downwind from the city, and less frequent in city gardens. Among crops, injury to different types of beans (genera Phaseolus, Canavalia and Vigna) was common, and it was also observed in watermelon, grape vine, and in gourds. Native species such as ailanthus, several pines and ash species were also symptomatic. The black locust, the rose of Sharon and the Japanese morning glory were among the injured ornamental plants. Target species for broader bio-monitoring surveys in temperate China have been identified.