Trees provide food, dens, and nest sites for wildlife, but some trees are more useful to animals than others. Once you find trees that provide the most value to wildlife, you can cut adjacent trees to give the remaining ones more room to grow.
This 9-page page document describes which trees to favor – and which to remove – when choosing crop trees. It gets fairly technical, so it’s best suited for someone with knowledge of forest management or as a piece to discuss with your consulting forester.
This US Forest Service article introduces you to Brooks Mills, a woodland owner who practices crop tree management.