The rate of evolution of ethylent by tomato plants was rapidly increased by ozone fumigation. In the present study, the mechanism of ethylent evolution by ozone was investigated in experiments with aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and tiron, which inhibit the formation of ethylene and peroxidation of lipids, respectively. Pretreatment with AVG significantly inhibited the ozone-induced ethylent evolution, but the treatment of plants with tiron did not inhibit. These results indicate that the induction of the evolution of ethylene by ozone involves the pathway via aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC), while not released as a result of the peroxidation of lipids. Ozone-induced ethylent evolution was greater in dar- than light-incubated, intact tomato plants. The difference between dark- and light-ethylene evolution was examined with diuron, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport. The inhibitor treatment promoted ethylent evolution. These results suggest that ethylent retention and metabolism in plants were regulated by internal $CO_2$ levels which, in turn, were controlled in large part by photosynthesis. Thus, ethylene was retained in illuminated leaf tissue under low intenal $CO_2$ concentration which may develop in a sealed container without exogenously supplied $CO_2$.