One of the current challenges in the study of recovering soil architecture is physically evaluating the internal soil structure in unconventional ways. The elaboration of consistent methods and physical parameters has become necessary for soil structural analysis. The aim of this study is to analyze the soil structures of two groups of recovering tropical soils and to simulate three-dimensional water movement pathways using unconventional methods and physical soil parameters. The following results were obtained from the analysis: 1) the S index was used as an indicator to effectively quantify the degree of management; 2) Qualisolo software was used to obtain the soil water retention curve (SWRC) of each management type; 3) the degree of anisotropy of the solid structure reflected the soil network; 4) the Euler-Poincaré number reflected the connectivity of the soil pores for each management type; 5) the Shannon entropy indicated the degree of randomness of the soil; and 6) the results of the Arya and Paris model and the simulations of water movement pathways are similar. In conclusion, the obtained results reflect the internal soil structures and their corresponding characteristics. Thus, the results can be used to predict the influence of soil architecture on the movement of water in the soil.

Soil structure is essential for soil function and environmental quality. Therefore, adequate evaluation of management systems is essential to ensure the preservation and regeneration of soil structure. Techniques such as Xray microtomography and automated soil particle size analysis based on gamma-ray attenuation provide rapid quantification of soil physical properties and allow for the evaluation of soil structure. The aim of this study is to determine soil physical parameters using unconventional analytical tools to characterize and evaluate the geometric characteristics of soils with different structures at high accuracy. Soil samples extracted from the UNESP experimental farm (Brazil) were separated into two different management groups according to their textural similarity. The following results were obtained from the analysis: 1) Microtomography can be used to extract soil porosity, including soil microporosity. 2) The shape factor indicates the geometric organization of the soil structure, which is relevant and valid for evaluating the degree of soil degradation. 3) The fractal dimension is related to the soil particle and aggregate size distribution but was not sufficient for describing the soil geometric properties when used alone. 4) Coupling the fractal dimension with the lacunarity provides an important tool for estimating the soil structure. Finally, the application of the physical parameters from the unconventional method provided new insights for understanding soil geometric structure, which can support future investigations of flow phenomena in the soil.

Agradecimentos A Deus, fonte criadora do Universo, por ter sempre me preparado os melhores e mais surpreendentes caminhos. Ao Dr. Silvio Crestana, por ter me proporcionado esta oportunidade de aprendizado e acreditado na minha capacidade de evolução, sempre me incentivando e mostrando como me tornar uma verdadeira cientista e, principalmente, pela sua amizade, paciência, conselho, orientação e apoio à realização desse trabalho. Agradeço ainda pelos momentos de reflexões cefaléicas, mas como dizia Albert Einstein: "A mente que se abre a uma nova idéia jamais voltará ao seu tamanho original.". É realmente um grande exemplo de professor, cientista que eu admiro e que me serviu de modelo. À Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária-Unidade de São Carlos-SP, pelo espaço, equipamento e conforto para realização do presente trabalho.

O solo é um recurso fundamental no meio ambiente, seu uso sustentável é vital para prover alimentos e consequentemente a continuidade da vida na Terra. No entanto, estado atual desse recurso no mundo encontra-se em condição crítica, logo as medidas de recuperação devem ser adotadas urgentemente, consequentemente a necessidade de métodos adequados para avaliação dessas medidas. O objetivo desse estudo é proporcionar uma avaliação holística sobre a arquitetura do solo em diferentes estados de recuperação, assim como sua interação com fluido no meio ambiente utilizando métodos não convencionais. Logo, foi organizado um pacote de ferramentas que permitam analisar a física solo no âmbito de geometria, morfometria e energia, proporcionando parâmetros físicos que indicam a qualidade física e ambiental; Em seguida esse pacote foi aplicado no estudo de seis tipos de manejos com diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento, envolvendo os parâmetros físicos derivados do pacote, mostrando assim a eficiência das técnicas de recuperação sob diferentes perspectivas;Assim foi realizado também a avaliação da dinâmica da água no solo em uma situação particular utilizando as mesmas ferramentas, proporcionando conhecimentos sobre o essa interação no meio ambiente ao longo do tempo. Finalmente, espera-se com esse trabalho novos olhares sobre esse recurso precioso no meio ambiente. Soil is a fundamental resource in the environment, its sustainable use is vital to food supply and, consequently, life continuity on the Earth. However, the currently status of this resource in the world is critical and, therefore, the need of soil recovery measures and methods to evaluate it is urgent. The aim of this study is to provide a holistic evaluation about soil architecture at different recovery states, as well as its interaction with fluid in the environment by using nonconventional methods. It was organized a tool package that allows to analyze soil physical at geometric, morphometric and energy scope, to show in a more efficient way, which physical parameters indicate the physical and environmental quality. Subsequently, this package was applied to the study of six types of managements in different stages of development by using of physical parameter derived from the package; It was also analyzed the efficiency of recovery techniques under different perspectives. In addition, the soil-water dynamic was evaluated in a particular condition by using the same tools, offering knowledge about this interaction in the environment along the time. Finally, it is expected that this work can bring new insight on preservation and recovery of this environmental resource. Palavras-chaves: