## 1 Introduction  
Global warming is evidenced mainly by rising global mean air and ocean temperatures, extensive melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea levels. A layer of greenhouse gases mostly made of water vapor, in far lower amounts, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide act as a thermal blanket around the Earth, absorbing heat and concurrently heating its surface to temperatures suitable for the growth of living creatures. Several experts declare that the \"greenhouse effect\" caused by human activity is mostly responsible for the current trend of global warming. As the main contributor to climate change, CO\({}_{2}\) is a rather small but significant part of the atmosphere. It is created by both natural processes, such as respiration and volcanic eruptions, and human activities, such as deforestation, land use changes, and fossil fuel burning [1, 2]. Simulations of future vegetation distribution in the European area indicate that by the end of the century, at least one-third of the land surface area may be covered by different vegetation species [3]. Changes in the plant species are likely to be considerably more significant in southern Europe, with widespread replacement of forest by shrubland predicted, owing mostly to drier conditions and catastrophic impact of fire [4, 5]. Only a few locations in Greece appear to have a process-based projection study of how forest ecosystems would adapt to climate change [6]. These simulations appear to support the overall trend of elevation changes in species distribution and the replacement of drought-sensitive species with drought-resistant ones, with favorable interactions with the local environment. In parallel, the global demand for fibrous lignocellulosic materials coming from wood industries is constantly rising, while the production of industrial wood of high quality obtained from natural forests continues to decline [1]. The deficit of forest products in developing countries is mainly attributed to the depletion of forest resources due to deforestation, human intervention, institutional failure, etc. [2], while in developed countries, it is attributed to the reduction of forest areas intended for industrial wood production (versus other uses such as recreational areas, etc.) [7]. The remaining forests experience high pressures due to the higher demand for wood in the forest industry attributed to the ever-increasing population and new application areas [8]. In order to be able to meet future material and wood demands and overcome the existing wood shortage, studies have so far focused on the utilization of alternative and competitive materials in forest industries, especially as raw materials for the production of sawn wood, pulp, paper, biofuels, and other products [1; 9; 10]. The answer to the timber shortage problem could possibly be partly provided by the cultivation of some fast-growing, short-rotation species. In recent years, many countries have focused their attention on the utilization of wood derived from species that are considered undesirable in natural ecosystems and are classified as invasive or pests (_Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudacacia, Ambrosia artemisininifolia_, etc.) because of their tendency to spread at such a rapid rate and to such an extent that they suppress native vegetation species. Such species have not been properly utilized in appropriate applications to date [11]. _Ailanthus_ species, commonly known as tree-of-heaven (Figure 1), has concerned many studies around the globe, although so far, according to the literature, there is not enough information concerning its properties towards its extensive and successful use in a multitude of applications (wood-based products, composite materials, chemical products, biofuels, etc.). The properties and characteristics of this fast-growing species, which remains underestimated until now, should be thoroughly investigated in order to promote the production of high-added-value products utilizing such a low-quality and low-cost raw material. _A.