Van Staden, Piet J.Bredenkamp, George J.Bezuidenhout, HugoBrown, Leslie R.2018-11-292018-06Van Staden PJ, Bredenkamp GJ, Bezuidenhout H, Brown LR. The effect of seeding densities on old cultivated fields in Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, South Africa. African Journal of Ecology. 2018;56:342–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12460.0141-6707 (print)1365-2028 (online)10.1111/aje.12460http://hdl.handle.net/2263/67409Large areas of the bushveld bioregion are converted from natural rangeland to cultivated fields for economic purposes. Conversion of grasslands to agricultural land alters the vegetation structure, plant species composition and ecological functioning. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of different seeding densities to enhance the restoration of old cultivated fields in Marakele National Park. Before these areas along the Motlhabatsi River were incorporated into the Park they were used for cultivation of crops. In an attempt to restore these areas to an improved condition, this pilot study was undertaken to determine best practice. One study area comprising two experimental sites and one control site were selected. A seed mixture consisting of natural grass species to the area was selected and sown at two different seed densities. The sites were monitored for a 2‐year period for species diversity and composition. Data were analysed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), while species diversity was calculated for the different experimental sites using the Shannon–Wiener index. Limited differences were observed between the two seeding densities. The results indicate that seeding degraded grasslands in these bushveld areas enhance the diversity and evenness of the degraded land.en© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article : The effect of seeding densities on old cultivated fields in Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi, South Africa, African Journal of Ecology, vol. 56, no. 2, pp. 342-350, 2018, doi : 10.1111/aje.12460. The definite version is available at : wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ajeBushveldDegraded landLand-use legacyNatural vegetationRehabilitationSpecies diversityRestorationPostprint Article