as fragment area size increases, the number of infected ticks per acre decreases. the number of infected ticks in a fragment size of 30 acres will be less than the number of infected ticks in a fragment size of 16 acres. there are over three times more infected ticks in the smallest fragments (1.2 - 6.3 acres) compared to the number of infected ticks in the second smallest fragments (6.4 - 11.1 acres). a decrease in the fragment area size causes more ticks to be infected there.