Edge is not beneficial for all wildlife.  Some wildlife species need large, unbroken (unfragmented) areas in a certain successional stage to provide some or all of their habitat requirements.  Such species are referred to as area sensitive.  For these species, large areas of vegetation in one successional stage are desirable.  A forest or rangeland in one successional stage that has at least 100 acres of unbroken (unfragmented) area is considered to be the minimum requirement for many area sensitive species.  However, some species may require 1,000 acres or more at a minimum.  In many instances, the population numbers of endangered and threatened species are low due to the large amount of acreage necessary to fulfill habitat needs

The red-cockaded woodpecker is an example of an area sensitive species requiring older-age pine forests for its habitat.