An
arborist, or (less commonly)
arboriculturist, is a
professional in the practice of
arboriculture, which is the
cultivation, management, and study of individual
trees,
shrubs,
vines, and other
perennial woody plants. Arborists generally focus on the health and safety of individual plants and trees, rather than managing
forests (the domains of
forestry and
silviculture) or harvesting wood. An arborist's scope of work is therefore distinct from that of either a
forester or a
logger, though the professions share much in common.