Regenerating Oklahoma Cross Timber/Prairie Woodland

My family has property about 20 minutes outside of the witchita mountains of Oklahoma,  zone 6b-7a.  I am curious about native trees bushes, etc... that I can incorporate in my existing couple acres of woodland and also my future planting of trees in an open section of the woodland, a lot of the trees are standing dead I not here place and the forest needs young life! I need suggestions please!  I am interested in any plant that serves a purpose in helping the forest whether it it be for critters or for humans as well, nitrogen fixing etc.

Welcome to Permies!

I am a bit south and west of you, but in the same ecological system.  I think there are more  species of trees native to our area than perhaps anywhere else in the states.  (read that years ago, but the reference has escaped me.)

If you're interested in the economics, I would suggest Pecans, as you are in a great area for them.  You are in prime hardwood/firewood forest, so am assuming you are not woodloting for firewood to use or sell.  If you were ash oak and osage prange, might be a good addition.  How quickly do you want growth and maturity?  Persimmons are native to your area and great for wildlife.  Turkey and deer love them.  If you are not grazing the area black locust is a popular planting for quick high quality hardwood.  Leaves are poisonous to livestock and the thorns are hard on vehicle tires.  But the wood has a lot of value and grows fairly quickly.  

The hickory family is a good candidate, as well.  SWeet gum, hackberry, and cottonwood also come to mind.  Looking forward to hearing what works for you.

Thank you for the welcome and for the advice!  I am looking for good forest diversity and cover including canopy possibly... within 5-10 years.  I have most of what you named currently in the woods and the surrounding areas.  My forest is mostly hack berry and oak dominated along with elm... it also has one or two pecans mixed in along with plenty of mule berry. There’s lots others that I probably haven’t discovered in there as well....  I was figuring I either clone out those treees through propagation of branches and so on and fill in the gaps of the forest using a mosaic type method? And fill in the gaps with native bushes and ground covers.  The forest holds a decent amount of moisture and has a lot of fungi pop up during times of rain.  But I’m interested in pushing the forest further out by planting more trees etc.  also i am quite interested in water catchment and getting my forest and ground to hold more.