Vegetation dynamics and responses to climate change is a hot research topic in the fields of ecology and geography. This paper analyzed and compared the difference in the response of different forest vegetation to different time scales in a Southern subtropical monsoon region. We assessed the dynamics characteristics of forest vegetation and relevant meteorological factors, analyzed the differences in the response of different forest vegetation to climate change. We used the 2000-2017 MODIS-EVI data and meteorological site data, and conducted the maximum value composite (MVC), liner trends, and correlation analyses. We have five major findings. Firstly, in the 18 years, the forest vegetation coverage, EVI, precipitation, and humidity increased significantly, indicating that the forest vegetation has been growing better. Secondly, at the beginning and end of the growing season, there was a significant positive correlation (p<0.1) between EVI and precipitation, so was temperature. At the beginning of the growing season, EVI was more affected by precipitation; while at the end of the growing season, it was more affected by temperature. Thirdly, climate change in the January to March and over the whole year is critically important to forest growth. With increasing time scale, the correlation with EVI and SPEI also increased. The increase of humidity on long-term scales has a positive effect on forest growth. Fourthly, broadleaf-conifer mixed forests have larger correlation coefficients with EVI and meteorological factors than other forest types do. Their correlation with SPEI at different time scales is relatively larger than with meteorological factors. Broadleaf-conifer mixed forests are climate-sensitive; more attention should be paid to their production and management to prevent damages induced by climate change. Fifthly, the correlations of forest cover change with precipitation and with SPEI_24 are extremely significant, indicating that the long-term precipitation change is an important factor affecting the change of forest vegetation coverage.