In Brazil, extensive livestock farming predominates, often in soils with low agricultural potential and susceptible to degradation, mainly in terms of physical aspects and water infiltration. Thus, this work aims to analyze the impact caused by the succession process in soil of different pasture areas, with an emphasis on their physical quality and physical-hydric characteristics, relating them to the role played by naturally observed ecosystem services. For this, 4 grazing areas were selected, in Red Ultisol, under different levels of natural succession: grazing in good visual conditions (PB); pasture under low scrub (CB); pasture under high scrub (CA); pasture under “capoeirão” (CAO), in the Ribeirão José Pereira microbasin (Itajubá - MG). The physical attributes were determined: soil density, porosity, size and stability of aggregates, as well as their classification as to the formation path. The infiltration analysis was carried out with the aid of a Guelph permeameter and the resistance to mechanical penetration of the soil with an impact penetrometer. For analysis of the results, analysis of variance and Tukey test at 5%, Pearson's correlation and multivariate statistics of main components were used. The natural succession in abandoned pastures improves the physical quality of the soil, with the production of larger, more stable aggregates and of biogenic formation over time. The areas could be classified according to their quality, in the following increasing order: PB < CB < CA < CAO, which respected the action of natural succession and, therefore, of ecosystem services.