First of all Keith, welcome to Permies!
I know when I first ventured into permaculture, I brought with me many ideas I learned from organic (but still conventional) gardening. One of those ideas was that plants in the same area compete for water and nutrients, so the conclusion is that it's best to keep variety to a minimum. Then came permaculture with its multilayered food forests and its plant guilds and choirs. That was a revelation in thinking because it wasn't what I learned first. But the more I study soil science, the more I understand that soil microorganisms are the key to healthy soil and nutritious vegetables and fruits, and power-packed dynamic accumulators. These soil organisms
thrive on diversity! Jon Stika's
A Soil Owner's Manual (Permies book review
here) helped me understand that weeds (the stuff we don't want) are nature's way of trying to provide the diversity soil organisms need. So yes, your instincts are correct - work toward the greatest biodiversity you can!