In a Hypothetical Situation, a Bacterium Lives on the Surface

Multiple Choice

In a hypothetical situation, a bacterium lives on the surface of a leaf, where it obtains nutrition from the leaf's nonliving, waxy covering while inhibiting the growth of other microbes that are plant pathogens. If this bacterium gains access to the inside of a leaf, however, it causes a fatal disease in the plant. Once the plant dies, the bacterium and its offspring decompose the plant. What is the correct sequence of ecological roles played by the bacterium in the situation described here?

A) nutrient recycler, commensal, pathogen
B) mutualist, commensal, pathogen
C) mutualist, pathogen, nutrient recycler
D) nutrient recycler, mutualist, primary producer