Arborista o arboricultor

[JPablo]

Según DRAE,
arboricultor, ra.
1. m. y f. Persona que se dedica a la arboricultura.

Me parece que "arborista" se usa en México... supongo que como calco del inglés "arborist", a specialist in the cultivation and care of trees and shrubs, including tree surgery, the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tree diseases, and the control of pests.

Do you have any more data on how is this and why?

[Perikles]

In English, I think there is a difference between arboriculturist, who grows trees, and an arborist. The latter might be a tree surgeon, a specialist dealing with tree diseases, or a scientist. There is some overlap, but an arborculturist would probably have the arborist as a specialist he would call in for advice.

[aleCcowaN]

I've never heard of "arboricultor" nor "arborista" in Spanish before. Here it is "silvicultura", "silvicultor" and "arbolista". People here also tend to call arbolista the gardener who specializes either in pruning trees and treating tree diseases or the worker that manages to cut trees down without tearing down your house or the rest of the garden and removes 'stubborn' stumps.

[JPablo]

Thank you both, Perikles and AleCcowan. Good to have this data.

I see that DRAE gives "arbolista" as you correctly indicate. (That maybe answers the point Perikles is raising, regarding the overlap of senses and usage...)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Nunca he oído "arborista" en México. En el centro del país siempre he oído "arboricultor".

[JPablo]

Gracias, Malila. Bueno es saberlo.