Talk:Arboriculture

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this is to short, should be merged with forestry as a subsection ... or landscaping or something similar. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.126.30.152 (talk) 18:47, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I removed the text from the article, which said it included the care of

shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants,

I don't recognise this definition. The accepted definition of the word, for instance at http://www.isa-arbor.com/ is for the care of trees only. Imc 10:21, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

I'm putting it back in, with a sourced reference considered eminent among ISA certified arborists. Duff 20:33, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I'll disagree with the sourced reference, since it is atypical, and the ISA site gives a typical and useful definition. I'll accept that arboriculture can deal with large shrubs, and climbing plants, where they climb trees. However, to claim that the care of all woody shrubs is arboriculture is not going to be understood within the accepted conventions of horticulture. Woody shrubs range from the semi-woody (Phlomis), to the common ones such as most roses, to the tree like, such as cherry laurel. The management of all these is considered horticulture, until they require specialist climbing for maintenance. Imc 22:37, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

No particular argument with ISA's description, though as a working arborist, which I'm thinking you may be also, I've always understood good arboricultural practices to extend to all woody plants, small and large. My practice, largely in urban areas, has involved far more work on small wood than large. There are arborists who climb, and those who do not, that is clear. I do not think that the climbability of a plant is what defines whether the care of it is or is not arboriculture.

The addition of "some sources say" at the bottom of the article is a welcome gesture, but since we're having a minor edit war here, I want to offer this:

Merriam Webster online differentiates horticulture from arboriculture thusly:

"arboriculture: Etymology: arbori- + -culture (as in agriculture)

the cultivation of trees and shrubs especially for ornamental purposes

"horticulture: Etymology: Latin hortus garden + English -i- + culture -- more at YARD

the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants"

Furthermore, Encyclopedia Brittanica online treats arboriculture as follows: " cultivation of trees, shrubs, and woody plants for shading and decorating. Arboriculture includes propagating, transplanting, pruning, applying fertilizer, spraying to control insects and diseases, cabling and bracing, treating cavities, identifying plants, diagnosing and treating tree damage and ailments, arranging plantings for their ornamental values, …(the rest you have to pay to read, but you get the gist)

And, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000, goes even more directly to my point: The planting and care of woody plants, especially trees.

You may be interested to note that the same source defines arbor itself, and has a great little etymology that may help you untie from the climbing saddle and come on down into the garden for a minute: arbor: A shady resting place in a garden or park, often made of rustic work or latticework on which plants, such as climbing shrubs or vines, are grown. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English erber, from Old French erbier, garden, from erbe, herb. See herb.

Anyhoozle, you cite one source (albeit a reasonable one), and I have here four so far, three of them probably more widely recognized than ISA as authoritative on the meaning of words. Thus, ISA can now, I think, be considered the atypical reference. Wanna wrestle with a moderator next? ; ) Duff 21:15, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Bats in trees is great, but it's not arboriculture. Someone's invented "sport" is not arboriculture. I'd like to do some serious improvements on this page; if I do in the near future, I will post about it here, and I hope it can be improved on even more by others.--Trees4est (talk) 21:46, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Made mention to amenity trees and how arboriculture is more so focused on the value a tree provides to a landscape rather than the value of it by wood content. Forestry and silviculture is more so aimed at managing for wood production, trees are a crop where as in an urban setting trees are amenity. --Eric Frei (talk) 03:56, 17 February 2008 (UTC)