Fall 2026

Environmental Biogeography

Explores how physical and biological factors affect the distribution of terrestrial biomes, ecosystem types, and biodiversity.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Ken Keefover-Ring4.1/5

Summary

1 / 6

The course includes weekly quizzes, readings, group presentations on biological papers, and a final essay, with tests described as clear and straightforward.

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
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BC
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Sophomore standing

  • Sophomore standing
BOTANY/GEOG 338

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Sophomore standing

Professors

Fall 2026

Ken Keefover-Ring

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.33/5 from 30 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.8/5 raw quality · 2.2/5 difficulty · 6 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Ken Keefover-Ring is consistently described as nice, accessible, and funny, with a focus on conceptual understanding over specific details. Reviewers appreciate his supportive nature and clear communication, noting that he wants students to succeed. However, some find the lecture style passive or boring, preferring smaller class environments for better interaction.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.78 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=48 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.97 GPA, 97.9% A/AB (n=48 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.91 GPA, 98.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Historical reviews for Erika Marin-Spiotta highlight her enthusiasm, knowledge, and student support. Reviewers note her clear explanations and engagement, though one mentions occasional clarity issues. The workload involves challenging reading, but grading is described as not strict, with straightforward tests and a flexible final paper.

KEN KEEFOVER-RING is recorded teaching in Fall 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction31 / 701
LEC 001Classroom Instruction39 / 701

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Reviewers describe Ken Keefover-Ring as accessible, kind, and funny, noting that he creates a laid-back yet interesting learning environment.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.78 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=48 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.97 GPA, 97.9% A/AB (n=48 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.91 GPA, 98.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

The course includes weekly quizzes, readings, group presentations on biological papers, and a final essay, with tests described as clear and straightforward.

Some students value the focus on conceptual understanding, while others find the lecture style boring because the instructor talks most of the time.

Topics

  • Terrestrial biomes, ecosystem types, and biodiversity
  • Disturbance and human impacts on species distributions

Grades

Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Fall 2026.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Fall 2025

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Fall 2025 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1320 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
BOTANY/GEOG 338 · Fall 2026

Environmental Biogeography

Recorded 2026-09-07
BOTANY/GEOG 338 · Fall 2026

Environmental Biogeography

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:208:008241",
    "course_id": "BOTANY/GEOG 338",
    "course_uid": "course_b1a495c1918109de244bb953",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "008241",
    "source_subject_id": "208",
    "title": "Environmental Biogeography",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  },
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:416:008241",
    "course_id": "BOTANY/GEOG 338",
    "course_uid": "course_b1a495c1918109de244bb953",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "008241",
    "source_subject_id": "416",
    "title": "Environmental Biogeography",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "cfe5616a594cde5c4d9d83dd205be803d40b860af25e00825d5d855efd12ea0f",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}